Dark Pulp Fiction Briefcase Theory Makes Too Much Sense for Comfort

If there is a sure way to have fans debating about a movie for years, then it’s to give it an open finale — or, alternatively, conceal a key piece of information. And then ignore fans’ pleas to reveal the truth. For years. That’s exactly what Quentin Tarantino did with Pulp Fiction: the celebrated director’s second movie has been giving fans migraines left and right with the mystery of its briefcase’s contents.

Wallace’s Briefcase Has Been an Enigma for Years

A powerful mafia boss, Marsellus Wallace sent two of his best hitmen to “recover” one very specific briefcase for him. Vega and Winnifield went through hell and back to get it, and the latter was clearly in awe of its contents once he saw what was inside. However, Tarantino never explicitly explained what was there, and it’s been slowly killing fans ever since Pulp Fiction’s premiere 30 long years ago.

There have been numerous theories about what was both so glorious and important to Wallance since then, but they were all either dismissed or ignored by Tarantino. When someone suggested the briefcase contained the diamonds from his first movie, Reservoir Dogs, the director replied that it would’ve been “too obvious,” even though that was his original idea. So, the briefcase housed something surprising.

Wallace Definitely Made a Deal with the Devil

Wait! Give us a chance to explain. Let’s take a look at several facts about the briefcase and its owner, and it will all make sense, even if it may sound weird now.

Wallace desperately wanted this briefcase back. Winnifield was awed by something incredibly shiny inside the briefcase. The briefcase lock combination was 666. Wallace had a bandage on the back of his neck, in the brain stem area.

In some religions, it is believed that a human’s soul is located in the brain stem area. Wallace had that place bandaged because he’d made a deal with the devil: he traded his soul for something but wanted to fool his “partner” and sent his best men to retrieve the briefcase — which was, of course, locked by the devil using his favorite number. The golden shining from the briefcase was just that: a human soul.

Some might say it’s too obscure even for Tarantino, but if you ask us, it’s exactly something early Tarantino would do to throw off the audience. If you take a step back from realism, all the pieces fall into place, and this theory makes a lot of sense.