Tarantino's second 1994 film (after Reservoir Dogs) elevated the director to superhero of independent cinema and marked the comeback of former teen idol John Travolta. Tarantino hop-step-jumpily tells three different stories in criminal circles that are nevertheless related.

Pulp Fiction is rightly considered a masterpiece because of its groundbreaking (non-linear) narrative structure, its refreshing audiovisual style with dynamic camera work and an unparalleled soundtrack, its play on genres, its rich and complex characters, its ironic and crude yet mundane dialogue and its realistic portrayal of violence.

The film transcended every convention in force at the time, which is why it can be seen as an icon of postmodern cinema. Consequently, Pulp Fiction was a great inspiration for a huge number of films and filmmakers that came after it.

The film won the Golden Palm at Cannes in 1994, and Tarantino and Roger Avary were awarded an Oscar for their script.