Clarence falls fast for Alabama, a call girl hired as his birthday gift. When he kills her pimp and accidentally walks off with a suitcase of cocaine instead of her clothes, the two end up on the run from the mob, the police, and a Hollywood producer's security detail—chasing a payday that might let them disappear together for good. Quentin Tarantino's first script, directed by Tony Scott.
Andy worried a rewatch after ten years might sour him on a film he loved—it didn't. Pete keeps recognizing now-famous faces he didn't register the first time around. Together they dig into the film's stacked cast, its tangled production history, and the political firestorm it landed in. We have a great time talking about it, so check it out then tune in—The Next Reel on TruStory FM, when the movie ends, our conversation begins!
Find the full episode resources and transcript here.
🎬 Watch & Discover
Watch "True Romance": Apple TV | Amazon | Letterboxd | Trailer
If You Liked This Conversation, Try These from the Next Reel Family:
Couples on the Run series — All eight films in the series, from "It Happened One Night" to "Gun Crazy."
"Midnight Run" — The film that kicked off the Couples on the Run series, referenced directly at the end of this episode.
"The Last Boy Scout" — Tony Scott's other film in The Next Reel's catalog, part of their Shane Black series.
"Strange Days" — Tom Sizemore's performance here gets compared directly to his work in this 1995 thriller, the opening entry in the Kathryn Bigelow series.
"Jackie Brown" — The only other Tarantino film Pete and Andy have covered, part of their 1998 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Lead Actress series.
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