Reservoir Dogs poster

Reservoir Dogs

199299 minutesR
7.5
Arcplot Score
⭐ Excellent
Unverified
⭐ 8.3IMDb
🍅 90%Rotten Tomatoes
Ⓜ️ 81/100Metacritic
🎬 8.1TMDb
📊 8.1Popularity
🏆13 wins & 23 nominations total
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Six thugs, who are strangers to each other, are hired by a crime boss, Joe Cabot, to carry out a diamond robbery. Right at the outset, they are given false names with the intention that they won't get too close and will concentrate on the job instead. They are completely sure that the robbery is going to be a success. But, when the police show up right at the time and the site of the robbery, panic spreads amongst the group members, and two of them are killed in the subsequent shootout, along with a few policemen and civilians. When the remaining people assemble at the premeditated rendezvous point (a warehouse), they begin to suspect that one of them is an undercover cop.

Box Office

Budget:$1.2M
Revenue:$2.9M
Profit:$1.7M

Arcplot Score Breakdown

Beat Timing Precision5.6/10
Emotional Arc Impact10/10
Thematic Consistency7/10
Overall Score7.5/10

Beat Sheet

15 plot points

Reservoir Dogs Arcplot
1
Opening Image
1 min
2
Theme Stated
5 min
3
Set-Up
15 min
4
Catalyst
20 min
5
Debate
30 min
6
Break Into Two
40 min
7
B Story
45 min
8
Fun and Games
55 min
9
Midpoint
65 min
10
Bad Guys Close In
75 min
11
All Is Lost
85 min
12
Dark Night of the Soul
90 min
13
Break Into Three
93 min
14
Finale
95 min
15
Final Image
99 min

Emotional Arc

+100-10

Plot Points

#1

Opening Image

1 min

Group of criminals in diner. Introductions by color-coded names. Casual conversation hides tension. Tone: cool, menacing, stylish.

#2

Theme Stated

5 min

Mr. Brown: "You never know who you can trust." Theme of loyalty, betrayal, and the cost of crime established.

#3

Set-Up

15 min

Planning heist. Character relationships shown. Mr. White, Mr. Orange, Mr. Blonde, Nice Guy Eddie, Mr. Pink. Personalities, tensions, loyalty tested. Stakes: successful heist, survival, trust.

#4

Catalyst

20 min

Heist goes wrong. Police ambush. Bloodshed. Immediate chaos. Trust questioned.

#5

Debate

30 min

Survivors regroup in warehouse. Who betrayed the heist? Suspicion, tension, fear. Characters debating next moves, alliances forming.

#6

Break Into Two

40 min

Decision to investigate betrayal. Mr. White protects Mr. Orange. Confrontations escalate.

#7

B Story

45 min

Mr. White and Mr. Orange relationship deepens. Loyalty vs. morality explored. Emotional stakes increase.

#8

Fun and Games

55 min

Interrogation, heated arguments, flashbacks. Character traits revealed. Tarantino dialogue shines. Suspenseful interactions.

#9

Midpoint

65 min

Reveal: Mr. Orange is an undercover cop. Tension peaks. Betrayal fully realized. Stakes maximal.

#10

Bad Guys Close In

75 min

Mr. Blonde tortures cop. Violence intensifies. Trust dissolves. Chaos spreading.

#11

All Is Lost

85 min

Shootout begins. Characters dying. Mr. White loses faith. Order collapsing.

#12

Dark Night of the Soul

90 min

Mr. White cradles dying Mr. Orange. Emotional peak. Loss, betrayal, morality crisis.

#13

Break Into Three

93 min

Mr. White resolves to avenge betrayal. Final confrontation inevitable.

#14

Finale

95 min

Warehouse shootout ends. Most characters dead. Mr. White devastated. Mr. Orange survives but wounded. Tragedy and moral ambiguity prevail.

#15

Final Image

99 min

Empty warehouse. Silence after chaos. Betrayal, loyalty, and the human cost of crime linger. Stark, unforgettable closing.