Pulp Fiction

  • Review Date: January 25, 2006
  • R
  • Genre: Drama
  • 1994
 Review

Common Sense Media says

Tarantino's masterpiece. Entertaining, yet violent.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this film glorifies violence, drug use, and sexual themes. Gunplay, robbery, swearing, drug use, drug dealing, lying, cheating, violence, male rape, sadomasochism, and driving under the influence. A character is shot in the face and it's played for jokes. In one extremely graphic scene (one that supposedly incited seizures in some epileptic audience members), a character plunges a syringe into a woman's chest to save her from experiencing a heroin overdose. The director seems to mock product placement by featuring original brands created for the film.

  • The film's extreme violence and drug use without legal consequences supercedes any of its socially redeemable qualities.
  • Rape, drug overdose, car accidents, shootings, killings, vast amounts of blood, and so much more.
  • Includes characters discussing oral sex, plus depictions of sadomasochism.
  • Holds the record for most use of the "F" words in any film (271 times). Plenty of racial slurs, too.
  • References to Burger King. Mock brand fast food products.
  • Heroin use plays a major role in the film. A character smokes pot using a bong.

What's the story?

PULP FICTION combines four storylines, revealing them in a non-linear fashion, using an immense all-star cast of characters connected in seemingly random ways. They include professional hit men Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vince (Travolta), their powerful drug-dealing boss Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames), Wallace's wife, Mia (Uma Thurman), aging boxer Butch (Bruce Willis), and a host of others. Each character encounters each other throughout the film, resulting in a chain of events that changes the course of their lives.


Is it any good?

 

Due mostly in part to its groundbreaking direction, cinematography, screenwriting, soundtrack, and extraordinary performances (particularly by Thurman, Travolta, and Jackson), Pulp Fiction had an immeasurable impact on both mainstream and independent filmmaking in the 90s. Despite the film's innovation and success, however, the extreme violence and sexual content featured in the film makes it wholly inappropriate for kids and all but the most mature teens.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about the film's popularity, despite its majorly mature content. What role did sex, violence, drug use, and language play in this film's success? Did you find anything here offensive -- or does the humorous tone somehow soften the content?


This review was written by Marjorie Kase
Parent of 13 and 16 year old
August 29, 2009
 
Perfect for kids 10 and up
I love it, because it's funny and it entertains all of us, but the could have cut down on the violence and swearing

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Adult
August 5, 2009
 
Watch with caution.
This movie is is full of cuss words and racial slurs. However the movies violence is almost always off screen. There are only a few deaths visible and a few are implied without showing any violence. The only sex is brief when a man is raped by a security guard. The film has drug use but it portrays drugs to be hazardous. Also there are many positive messages such as forgiveness and right doing. This is a great movie.

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Teen, 15 years old
January 21, 2011
 
NOBODY! Just kidding, but is it just me, or are there only really 3 scenes of violence? 2 deaths and one rape.Ohwell, language is high. But a MASTERPIECE.

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Teen, 17 years old
July 28, 2010
 
OK for older teens
This movie isn't as bad as CSM says it is. *SPOILER WARNING* the most violent scene is when Vincent accidently shoots Marvin in the face (which is also the funniest scene!) and it really isn't that violent (you hear a shot and it looks like tomato juice sprayed against the back windshield. The only thing I would be concerned about is the rape scene (kind of disturbing) and the language (way way too many F-bombs) "Don't do heroin or you'll be stabbed in the heart with a syringe and awake in excrutiating pain", which is pretty much what this movie has to say about drugs so I wouldn't worry about it. I love Uma's hair! I have the same hair cut lol..

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Parent of 14 year old
November 5, 2009
 
NOT FOR KIDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This movie almost got an NC-17 for it's violence and language, which concerns me most. The sex really to me is not an issue, but still it's not for kids okay.

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Teen, 15 years old
August 16, 2010
 
Great movie thats purposely over the top
I saw this movie after watching Inglorious Bastards, Jackie Brown, and both of the Kill Bill movies. The movie is without doubt incredible and the every single conversation in this movie had a purpose and this at least this movie had some character to it. All the characters have "character" and they aren't just there. As for drug use the only character that heavily use's them is Mia (Uma Thurman) who is seen snorting coke constantly and eventually in the same day she overdoses. The scene is extremely intense and graphic but as a side note it shows one of the many things that can happen to drug users and if you think about it, it really does show how bad drugs are. The language was over the top in the movie but it was not like every other word was "F**k". The swearing was balanced into conversations and the word is also used out of stress. The F word is about the only swear there is besides a few use's of the N word. The violence really comes from the overdoes scene and the rape scene. One innocent bystander got shot by accident. Then in one scene 3 people get shot with a some blood. One character gets shot by accident in a car and the blood sprays everywhere. The rape scene was more disturbing then graphic. A gimp is seen briefly before getting punched with the victim escaping to get a weapon then kill the others. But you don't see a single cop in the whole movie (besides one of the rapists) and in real life legal action would be taken and that makes the film feel unrealistic in a large aspect. Characters are seen smoking quite a bit. There aren't many real life products mentioned besides Mcdonalds and Burger King but then besides that Tarantino mocks product placement by having movie exclusive brands for the film. But if you are going to see this movie, watch it uncensored. The movie wouldn't be the same without any swearing. Then if scenes get censored with would just mess a lot of the atmosphere up. But if you ever watch a Quentin Tarantino movie, you know what your getting into. But if this is too over the top for kids (or adults) I suggest watching Jackie Brown. That movie has some swearing and drug use but it is extremely mild compared to this movie and for the first 2 hours of the movie only one character dies (I'm talking about Jackie Brown). So if you are going to see this, see it the way it was meant to be seen. But watch Jackie Brown as an alternative to this movie if you like Quentin Tarantino movies but then Pulp Fiction is too over the top for you and for those of you that liked this move then you will like Jackie Brown.

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Teen, 16 years old
August 22, 2009
 
Royale With Cheese!
All I can say is this movie is THE, Royale With Cheese! Nothing a mature 14-15 year old could not handle!

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Teen, 17 years old
July 5, 2010
 
Violence is overexagerated, everything else CS says is accurate
Don't let common sense fool you, the violence isn't that bad. While there is much shooting and killing, there are few scenes with lots of blood. When they appear though, they are pretty bloody. The drug use is very prevalent, and while there are no legal consequences, one character nearly dies of a heroin overdose. As for sex, there is one homosexual rape scene. You hear grunts and yells for a bit, and then you see the victim bent over on a chair with the rapist thrusting behind him. No genitals are shown, but it is still pretty graphic. Also, a character apprears in a full body sadomasochistic suit

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Kid, 12 years old
May 30, 2010
 
Cool
Love it.

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Teen, 15 years old
January 9, 2010
 
Tarantino's Masterpiece.
This is without doubt Tarantino's best film, I have seen almost all of his movies, and this is the one that sticks out in my memory. Almost every line in the movie makes for a great quote. One of John Travolta's best films, and Samuel L. Jackson is excellent as always. There is however a good deal of violence. Lots of blood and gore, a couple very violent scenes are set in a very humorous tone. (Man accidentally shot in the face, sets off comedic dialogue.) There is a torture scene, a man is slashed by a katana, a man is shot in the private area, another person is shot in the leg, a guy gets run over by a car, etc... etc... As for langauge... Well this movie actually set the record for the most uses of the F-word in a single film. 271 to be exact, also quite a few racial slurs, as well as other various assorted cussing. Also, there is some sexual content, implied oral sex (appears off screen), a man is briefly shown being raped... etc... Yet another major factor would be the drug use, many characters "shoot up" with heroin, one girl overdoses, main characters use drugs like some would take aspirin. All in all, Pulp Fiction is one of the most entertaining films of its genre. It should be OK for most older teens.

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This review was written by Marjorie Kase
Studio:Buena Vista
Director:Quentin Tarantino
Cast:Bruce Willis, John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman
Genre:Drama
Run time:154 minutes
Theatrical release date:October 14, 1994
DVD release date:May 19, 1998
MPAA rating:R
MPAA explanation:strong graphic violence and drug use, pervasive strong language and some sexuality.

This review was written by Marjorie Kase
 

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ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
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