When Pulp Fiction hit the big screen over 20 years ago, it was a revelation. Audiences were floored by the irreverent, nonlinear narrative, the whip-smart dialogue, and the compelling characters that made it an instant classic. Thanks to Quentin Tarantino’s trademark direction and writing role (here, shared with Roger Avary), the movie exemplified ’90s cinema, spawned hundreds of imitators, and remained a favorite for the past two decades.
But it’s the deeper meaning and ambiguity to the story and players that keep viewers riveted and speculating to this day. Pulp Fiction has sparked more theories and arguments than almost every film since its release, and continues to do so. Here are just a small selection of the theories proposed by the movie’s millions of fans.