An Early Stanley Kubrick Thriller Is a Must-Watch for Reservoir Dogs Fans

We bet that the name of Stanley Kubrick is mostly associated with his science fiction epic 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), the brutal A Clockwork Orange (1971) or, finally, the Stephen King-adapted horror masterpiece The Shining (1980) in your mind.

However, there is a lesser known movie that was written and directed by the master that is also worth a watch. Unlike the mentioned titles, it appears to be a noir crime film, and, back in 1956, it was a genre sensation that paved the way for modern heist flicks.

The plot of this movie revolves around Johnny, a veteran criminal who is attempting to perform one last heist before marrying and settling down. That’s why he invites a group of people of completely different occupations to help him on an elaborate robbery.

However, as it always happens in crime movies, something goes not according to Johnny’s plan, as the wife of his new accomplice learns about their plan to steal the money from a racetrack and decides to make her own bloody contribution to it.

Based on Lionel White's novel Clean Break, the story of a great scam gradually turns into a suspenseful bloody tale about people’s envy and infidelity. Be sure there are a number of unexpected turns waiting for you in the movie, as well as quite a dark finale.

Cinema lovers will be in awe of the fact that this movie, titled The Killing, became the main source of Quentin Tarantino ’s inspiration for his Reservoir Dogs (1992).

Yes, the star-studded crime flick that follows a group of thieves whose jewelry store heist goes terribly wrong is really reminiscent of Kubrick’s film. Moreover, both these movies use flashbacks to give some insight on the criminals’ minds and their failures.

"I didn't go out of my way to do a rip-off of `The Killing,' but I did think of it as my `Killing,' my take on that kind of heist movie," Tarantino once admitted.

Thus, if you’re a fan of Tarantino’s works, you shouldn’t miss Kubrick’s 96%-rated masterpiece that also shows how the filmmaker grew into himself and made up his style.

Check out The Killing, as it’s now available for watching on Prime Video .