Reservoir Dogs (1992)

‘Reservoir Dogs’ is not a “mob” movie in the standard sense. The principle characters are not part of a tightly connected family of crime, but rather belong to a more loosely knit fraternity of criminals, who are gathered together by a mutual acquaintance for one big job. In most mafia films the characters are not merely co-workers in crime, they are involved in each other’s daily lives, from baptisms to funerals. In ‘Reservoir Dogs’, the protagonists don’t even know each other’s real names, instead using the colourful monikers applied by their mysterious boss, such as “Mr. White”, “Mr. Blonde” and “Mr. Pink”.
This film contains large doses of my two least favourite features of mob films, excessive, bloody violence and over-the-top foul language, but somehow, it works. Writer/Director, Quentin Terantino, uses non-linear storytelling mixed with the visceral images and gut-wrenching tension to combine together to create one of the most powerful and dramatic crime films ever crafted.    
Terantino supplemented his dynamic screenplay with a sensational cast. Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Pen and Steve Buscemi all deliver terrific performances. Buscemi in particular demands empathy as the downtrodden Mr. Pink.  
I won’t give away any details, but I can say, without hyperbole, that the ending of the film is one of the most shocking and unforgettable in the history of American cinema. This film is definitely not for the squeamish, featuring bloody violence from the first scene right up until the dramatic end, but it has justifiably earned its place among the pantheon of great crime films.