Death Proof
2007 · Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Original language: English
- action
- thriller
The story
Austin's hottest DJ, Jungle Julia, sets out into the night to unwind with her two friends Shanna and Arlene. Covertly tracking their moves is Stuntman Mike, a scarred rebel leering from behind the wheel of his muscle car, revving just feet away.
What it’s like
Grindhouse-grainy and scratched, with washed-out yellow-brown color, a deliberately faded print and reel-change jumps that make it feel like a dusty drive-in double bill. Long talky scenes sit in sun-baked bars and cramped booths under fluorescent or tungsten light, the camera lingering on chatter and cigarettes, then the second half turns to fast, low, handheld and wide car-chase framing on empty Texas blacktop, with engines roaring and tires shrieking over a pulpy soundtrack of 70s soul and rock cuts. The vibe is sleazy, swaggering and mouthy, with a nasty, self-aware edge. Its pacing is loose and chatty before an abrupt, violent surge, and its arc follows a predatory man who gets his comeuppance and a group of women who turn the tables. Intensity is high: frequent crude sexual talk and innuendo, sudden brutal car crashes with bloody, graphic injuries and gore, and a menacing, sadistic tone throughout, with dread and cruelty more than restraint. Not gentle. It suits late-night grindhouse-minded viewers who like talky exploitation films with genre-loving swagger and a payoff of brutal, cathartic vengeance.
More films like Death Proof
Closest in mood, pacing and theme. Tell us why you loved Death Proofand we’ll explain which ones fit you.
