---
title: "Pulp Fiction: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/pulp-fiction/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/pulp-fiction"
critics_score: 66
critics_reviews: 13
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Pulp Fiction (1994): what the critics said

Critics' score 66 from 13 reviews: 7 positive, 3 mixed, 3 negative.

With only 5 reviews in so far, the spread is wide. The praise clusters on Tarantino’s dialogue and on the performances, John Travolta’s and Samuel L. Jackson’s above all, with several critics also admiring the way the three stories are shuffled out of order.

The reservations cluster on what the talk is for: a moral vacuum where the violence is played for amusement, and a running time some find shapeless and self-indulgent. The Guardian is the sharpest dissenter, calling it lurid and in need of an editor, while the Los Angeles Times finds a gifted mimic of film history who has not yet found new ground.

## The Times — Kevin Maher

Rating ★★★★★. 23 August 2024. 

The critic hails the film as peak Tarantino and a cultural milestone that redefined commercial cinema with its non-chronological storytelling, sharp dialogue and genre play. He singles out its enduring influence and joyful narrative invention for praise in this 30th-anniversary re-release review.

[Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/pulp-fiction-1994-review-changed-cinema-classic-056kl6fmw)

## Empire — Ian Freer

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 1994. 

The critic praises Tarantino's non-linear structure, witty dialogue, pop culture references, and the performances of Travolta, Willis, Thurman, and Jackson, noting how the film redefines the crime genre with its gleeful amorality and hyperkinetic energy.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/pulp-fiction-review/)

## Radio Times — David Parkinson

Rating 5 out of 5 stars. 

The critic praises Tarantino's genius for hard-boiled comic dialogue and astonishing control over characters and crossplots, highlighting the exhilarating mix of pop and pulp along with standout performances from the revitalised John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ihk4ey/pulp-fiction/)

## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 10 June 2001. 

The critic praises the film's dialogue as its foundation, comparing it to masters of hard-boiled prose and noting how it drives character and story even at right angles to the action. He highlights the vivid characters, inventive structure, and how Tarantino makes violence and absurdity work through style and wit.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-pulp-fiction-1994)

## The New York Times — Janet Maslin

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 23 September 1994. Festival review. 

The critic calls the film a triumphant, cleverly disorienting journey through a demimonde of danger, shock, hilarity and vibrant local color sprung from Tarantino's imagination. It ultimately offers a stunning vision of destiny, choice and spiritual possibility.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/23/movies/film-festival-review-pulp-fiction-quentin-tarantino-s-wild-ride-life-s-dangerous.html)

## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 3 October 1994. 

The critic finds the film's narrative form violently disrupted and its violence more verbal than visual, with a moral vacuum where talk dominates. John Travolta's performance stands out for its lack of vanity and ability to hold attention amid the chaos.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1994/10/10/degrees-of-cool)

## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 14 October 1994. 

The critic praises the hip, idiosyncratic dialogue and performances by Travolta and Jackson but finds the film uneven, self-centered, and overly reliant on shock value and posturing. It is seen as the work of a gifted mimic of movie history who has not yet opened new ground.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-10-14-ca-50020-story.html)

## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 13 August 2002. 

The critic finds the film ridiculously entertaining yet remarkably weightless, noting its gleeful pop-culture references and non-linear structure create a farcical neo-noir that ultimately turns on itself. Samuel L. Jackson's performance as Jules stands out for embodying the film's concerns with righteousness and redemption.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/pulp-fiction/)

## Time Out — GA

Rating 4 out of 5 stars. 14 April 2014. 

The critic describes it as a sprawling, discursive fresco of three interlinked stories, praising the sharp, sassy dialogue and pop culture references while noting frustrations with talk delaying the action, self-conscious references, and a lack of emotional depth or moral weight in the violence.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/pulp-fiction)

## The Guardian — Derek Malcolm

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 20 October 1994. 

The critic finds the film lurid and shapeless, overly long and self-indulgent with nothing substantial to say, though it has patches of brilliance and strong performances. He praises the cameos by Christopher Walken and Harvey Keitel but criticizes the excessive violence used for amusement and lack of editing.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/1994/oct/20/quentintarantino.derekmalcolm)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Duane Byrge

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 1994. Festival review. 

The critic views the film as less charming than Reservoir Dogs, with thin material overall despite a strong cast, but praises its witty, quotable dialogue and energetic visual style.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/pulp-fiction-1994-film-review-740732/)

## The Independent — Adam Mars-Jones

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 19 October 1994. 

The critic views the film as a disappointing, self-parodic follow-up to Reservoir Dogs that feels cruel, empty and smug despite its interlocking stories. He complains that its violence and themes lack the careful construction and justification of Tarantino's earlier work.

[Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-reservoir-dregs-and-to-think-they-compared-tarantino-to-dostoyevsky-adam-marsjones-on-pulp-fiction-1443976.html)

## Den of Geek — Glen Chapman

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 7 November 2011. 

The critic views Pulp Fiction as a key moment in 1990s cinema that confirmed Tarantino's talent, blending diverse cinematic influences into an original work with masterful non-linear storytelling and iconic dialogue. It remains a bold, complete piece that continues to impress on re-watches despite some controversial elements.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/looking-back-at-quentin-tarantinos-pulp-fiction/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/pulp-fiction.md