Pulp Fiction: The 30 Best Quotes

After nearly 30 years since its release, Pulp Fiction quotes remain in the minds of fans and keep the movie’s legacy alive. Quentin Tarantino had already introduced himself as a fresh new cinematic voice with 1992’s Reservoir Dogs, but it was Pulp Fiction that really took his style to the mainstream as the movie became a box office hit and earned several Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and won for Best Original Screenplay. The unique screenplay is certainly the highlight of the movie with so many Pulp Fiction quotes providing a perfect example of how fresh and new it felt.

Part of what makes Pulp Fiction one of the best movies ever is that Tarantino crafts dialogue like no other and perhaps his most iconic lines come from this film. The strange and cool ride into the criminal underground of Los Angeles, filled with colorful characters, gives way to some memorable conversations, intimidating lines, and hilarious quips. The result is one of the most quotable movies ever made and a true classic to this day.

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30 “It’s The One That Says Bad Motherf**ker.”

Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson)

The climactic diner scene in Pulp Fiction is one of the most tense in the whole movie and further cements Jules as the standout character of the movie. The story’s complicated timeline shows Jules as a ruthless killer but also as a man seeking a path of peace. This final scene sees the collision of these two personalities when he comes up against the would-be robber, Pumpkin. Jules has Pumpkin at gunpoint and could easily kill him right now, but he chooses to show compassion.

Not only is Jules choosing to let him live, but he is also giving him a parting gift. With a calm voice which makes it clear who is in charge, Jules has Pumpkin find his wallet among those Pumpkin has already collected. When Jules points out which wallet is his by the memorable writing on the front of it, it serves as a hilarious reminder of how outmatched Pumpkin is. Had he read the wallet to begin with, he might have avoided messing with Jules altogether.

29 “Don’t You Hate That?… Uncomfortable Silences.”

Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman)

There are a number of breakout performances in the movie, but Uma Thurman’s Pulp Fiction performance is unforgettable. Mia Wallace is another character who appears at the outset to be a caricature of crime movie tropes but proves to be a lot more complex than she seems. The sequence of Mia and Vincent going out for dinner together is a riveting and believable look at two strangers getting to know each other over a meal.

Quentin Tarantino’s masterful dialogue in the scene has moments of humor and charm that make the connection these two have begun to form more effective. However, this moment where the conversation dies down and Mia has to address the uncomfortable silence between them is a reliable one that not many movies would include. However, this small moment does so much to bring their relationship to another dangerous level.

28 “They Call It A Royale With Cheese.”

Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson)

One of the most iconic lines in Pulp Fiction had such an impact because of how fresh it felt for the movie. As the title suggests, Pulp Fiction takes a look at crime stories fans are more than familiar with — hitmen on a job, a boxer who refuses to take a dive — but Tarantino finds interesting new ways to explore these stories.

Opening the tale of two deadly hitmen on the way to kill some people with a conversation about European fast food cemented Tarantino as an exciting new voice that countless other filmmakers would attempt to replicate. However, the conversation also shows Tarantino’s skill at dialogue.

The fact that these stone-cold killers are having this discussion is funny, but Tarantino is also interested in making the audience invested in their conversation. It feels like two friends really talking which makes it more compelling when they venture into other topics later in the movie, like the ethics of a foot massage and the possibility of divine intervention.

27 “Any Of You Move And I’ll Execute Every Last One Of Ya’!”

Honey Bunny (Amanda Plummer)

The thing about the diner scene is how the viewer is made to wonder just what Honey Bunny and Ringo are up to until they spring into action. Honey Bunny initially comes across as more rational, even talking about how she doesn’t really intend to kill anyone during these robberies.

However, this idea is put to bed when, the next second, it’s Honey Bunny who begins screaming this quote like bloody murder after just having softly professed her love for Ringo.

It is a great example of Pulp Fiction‘s unique look at criminal archetypes, suggesting that they “get into character” but are ordinary people most of the time. Honey Bunny insisting she doesn’t want to kill anyone only to threaten the entire diner is a hilarious whiplash of dark comedy. It is also the perfect final line before the title sequence begins, making the audience excited for the mayhem that is about to unfold.

26 “I’m Sorry Did I Break Your Concentration?”

Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson)

Samuel Jackson’s performance as Jules in Pulp Fiction is perhaps the best in the movie and one of the best in Jackson’s career. One instance where the audience can really see the different levels Jackson is playing is in the apartment sequence with Brett and his friends.

Jackson is able to hold the tension as he talks to the men about burgers and breakfast while still being likable. It is when he kills Brett’s friend without warning that Jules becomes terrifying and his sarcastic question to Brett shows his sadistic side.

It is a great moment of flipping a switch in the scene that Tarantino does so well throughout the movie. The scene was already tense, but the audience wasn’t aware of how things would play out. In shooting the man on the couch, Jules gets Brett’s attention as well as the audience’s in letting everyone know things are about to turn violent.

25 “The Days Of Me Forgetting Are Over, And The Days Of Me Remembering Have Just Begun.”

Pumpkin (Tim Roth)

The two robbers/lovers that open up the movie set the stage for this refreshing crime story that will be filled with unexpected turns. Just watching the opening scene of these two, viewers could reasonably assume that they are the leads of the movie with this quote setting Pumpkin up as some big-shot criminal with all the answers. He is looking back on his life of crime and seeing all the mistakes he has made, ready to try something new.

That is part of the brilliance of the Pulp Fiction timeline as by the time the movie returns to this diner scene, now knowing that Jules and Vincent are also there, it shows just how small-time Pumpkin really is. By the end of the movie, the audience sees how little Pumpkin has moved up in the world and there is even the sense that he may have learned his lesson and will never try something like this again.

24 “Just Because You Are A Character Doesn’t Mean You Have Character.”

The Wolf (Harvey Keitel)

Easily one of the coolest characters ever, The Wolf dominated each scene he was in and every conversation he was a part of. By the end of his time in the film, viewers might wonder just what it was about him that made him so interesting.

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Wolf provided the explanation for this in his interaction with Raquel, where he pointed out to her that being respected required having character. To go further into detail, he made this simple statement, making it an eye-opener of how being a character is so much different from having it.

Tarantino has a distinct style to his dialogue, but while some writers tend to create characters that all sound the same, Tarantino is able to give each member of his colorful ensemble their own voice. The Wolf’s wise and calm demeanor is a fun addition to the typically reckless characters in Pulp Fiction.

23 “You Play With Matches, You Get Burned.”

Vincent Vega (John Travolta)

Among one of the many mundane conversations Jules and Vincent have throughout the movie, comes a conversation about the ethics of massaging a married woman’s feet, with Vincent suggesting such an act is simply someone being reckless and opening themselves up to the consequences. Ironically, Jules did take his advice in a way by retiring, while Vincent should’ve listened to his own words and exited as Jules did.

Throughout the film, he was figuratively playing with matches, such as almost getting busted, nearly causing Mia’s death, and Vincent’s death in Pulp Fiction sealing his fate for being reckless. In fact, even after suggesting it was the masseuse’s fault for playing around with Mia knowing how dangerous her husband is, Vincent nearly finds himself crossing that line even more after taking Mia out on a date.

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22 “Sorry, Floyd…”

Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis)

Butch was the closest thing to a protagonist in the Pulp Fiction cast, as he gets the solo spotlight of his own story, showing his strange hero’s journey. However, much like many of the characters in the movie, he is a flawed hero who the audience can cheer for even when he goes to some dark places.

The indication of this comes much earlier than when most people would notice, though. While talking to the strange death-obsessed cab driver, Butch pretended he didn’t care that he accidentally killed his opponent in the ring.

However, he then muttered an apology to the man as well, proving that he did feel a measure of guilt for having gone too far. It is a small moment that Butch does move onto quite quickly, but in the movie filled with brutality and callous violence, it is a fascinating moment of a person taking a moment to consider what he has done with Bruce Willis delivering an effective performance with brief line reading.

21 “I’m American, Honey. Our Names Don’t Mean Shit.”

Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis)

The cab scene between Butch and the driver Esmeralda is an underrated scene in the movie but is yet another example of the wonderful gift for dialogue that Quentin Tarantino has. These two strangers have a conversation while fleeing the scene of what turns out to be a murder. However, their topics of conversation are perfectly casual, similar to how Jules and Vincent discuss European fast food on their way to kill some people.

As Esmeralda is getting to know Butch, she asks his name and then the meaning of his name. Butch’s reply that his name doesn’t mean anything is a funny retort that further solidifies the character as a down-to-earth and likable guy even if he is a bit rough around the edges. In the huge cast of this movie, Bruce Willis’ performance sometimes gets lost in the shuffle but it is one of his best.

20 “No Marriage Counseling, No Trial Separation. I’m Gonna Get Divorced. And I Don’t Wanna Get Divorced!”

Jimmy (Quentin Tarantino)

The funniest fact about “The Bonnie Situation” segment is how none of the clean-up was done due to a fear of the cops, but the fear of Jimmie’s wife. Jimmie (played by the movie’s director) is a friend of Jules who becomes their only option to lie low with a blood-stained car and a corpse in the back seat. However, Jimmie is not too pleased about the situation and the potential consequences it means for him.

When he laid in on Jules for bringing a dead guy to his house, Jimmie only had this problem in mind with his wife due to return home from work shortly. Rather than worry that he might get sent to jail for being in cahoots with a bunch of gangsters, Jimmie hilariously ranted about how his wife would divorce him. It really went to show where his priorities really were. It makes for one of Quentin Tarantino’s best cameos in his own movies.

19 “Pride Only Hurts, It Never Helps.”

Marsellus (Ving Rhames)

Marsellus Wallace is introduced in the movie with just the back of his head shown and he is still intimidating. Wallace lays out the plan for Butch to take a dive in his next fight and attempts to dissuade him from letting his ego interfere with their agreement. Although Marsellus had been trying to corrupt Butch into accepting his bribe, his long speech at the restaurant wasn’t exactly wrong.

After all, the matter of pride was what caused Marsellus’ own problems later in the movie. If he’d accepted the fact that he got swindled by Butch and let it go, then he would never have found himself in that dire situation with Zed. In the end, it really was pride that ended up getting Marsellus hurt. While it comes off as a menacing speech at the time, it can be seen as Marsellus offering some legitimately helpful advice to Butch in the end.

18 “Trying To Forget Anything As Intriguing As This Would Be An Exercise In Futility.”

Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman)

Perhaps due to being under the influence of heroin, Vincent decides to broach the subject of the aforementioned incident with Mia and the foot massage when taking her out for dinner. However, while he tries to go back on the conversation out of fear of it offending her, she is even more intrigued and cannot let it go so easily.

On the outside, it appeared as if Mia Wallace had it all made. With a rich husband, power through the gang’s influence, and pretty much all she wanted, she seemed to be well set. However, her interaction with Vincent made it clear that she was inherently very lonely.

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This is why, when she learned that she could get some juicy information out of Vincent, Mia couldn’t control her excitement. It is a small social moment of the conversation taking an interesting turn that foreshadows these two turning an innocent night out into something more dangerous and they test the boundaries they know they shouldn’t cross.

17 “Zed’s Dead Baby. Zed’s Dead.”

Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis)

Pulp Fiction‘s cast of characters is filled with nefarious and criminal individuals with few who seem like upstanding people. However, even within such a collection of people, Zed is an easy one to point to as the most repugnant. With him showing up to Maynard’s basement to sexually assault the captive Marsellus and Butch, he is immediately creepy. The fact that he is wearing a cop uniform and seems to have done this many times before makes it worse.

So it is very satisfying when the tables are turned on him and he is left by Butch to be dealt with by Marsellus, even more so when Butch takes his motorcycle, happily suggesting Zed won’t need it anymore. Even with the unsettling nature of Zed himself, it is a chilling line considering the fact that Zed was alive when Butch last saw him. However, while Marsellus might take his time with Zed, Butch knows it is the end for the corrupt cop.

16 “…What?”

Brett (Frank Whaley)

While Brett is onscreen for only a few minutes, he is responsible for one of the most famous and darkly funny exchanges in the movie. After seeing his friend just executed and knowing he is likely to share the same fate, it is understandable that Brett has a hard time comprehending everything being thrown at him. However, Jules is not an understanding man and gets annoyed when Brett cannot answer his seemingly simple question of what Marsellus Wallace looks like.

With a gun in his face, Brett is warned not to say “what?” again which should be motivation enough, but when Jules throws in the unexpected question “Does he look like a b****?” it is hard to blame Brett for being confused. In fact, it is funny to consider that, with that rather alarming question, Jules was actually hoping that he would take Brett by surprise and make him utter the forbidden word.

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15 “You Wanna Play Blind Man, Go Walk With The Shepherd. Me, My Eyes Are Wide Open.”

Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson)

Jules’ arc is one of the movie’s greatest storylines and another example of its ability to throw in unexpected elements into familiar crime movie scenarios. Following the “divine intervention” in Pulp Fiction, Jules is a changed man.

When the naive Vincent tried to come up with reasons why he and Jules survived what was a surefire death scenario, Jules dismissed him with this quote. The meaning behind it was that he realized that he didn’t need to follow a “shepherd” anymore, as his eyes were well and truly open.

From then on, there were no excuses for Jules living the gangster life, and he left to make a real contribution to the world. Coming just after the audience witnesses Jules execute a man in cold blood, the line is strangely endearing. Jules immediately commits to this change in his life, even chastising Vincent for not being as wise about the clear sign from God. It cements him as the most complex character in this story.

14 “I’mma Get Medieval On Your Ass.”

Marsellus (Ving Rhames)

Ving Rhames is an underrated performance in Pulp Fiction that shows the tough crime boss like it has rarely been depicted in movies. His introductory scene, preparing Butch to take the dive sets him up as a truly intimidating man that Butch would be foolish to cross. However, when Marsellus finds himself a captive of Zed and Maynard, Rhames plays a believable vulnerability to the situation. While the audience might have previously been rooting for Butch to kill Marsellus, now it is easy to feel sorry for him.

That makes it all the more satisfying when Marsellus bounces back and takes control of the situation. With Zed whimpering in the corner, Marsellus takes on his intimidating persona once again. He promises that Zed’s suffering is far from over and that the man is going to live the rest of his short life regretting that he ever crossed Marsellus Wallace.

13 “I’m Trying Real Hard To Be The Shepherd.”

Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson)

Anyone who has ever seen a Quentin Tarantino movie, or any crime movie in general, may be surprised by the ending of Pulp Fiction. Once it is revealed that Jules and Vincent are in the same diner that Pumpkin and Honey Bunny are planning to rob, it feels inevitable that it is leading to a bloody end. While that was the original Pulp Fiction script called for a violent end for the two would-be robbers, the real conclusion is perfect.

It would have been far easier for Tarantino to embrace what audiences thought was going to happen and it would have been in line with the violence that was throughout the movie. However, it is much more interesting and exciting to see Jules truly commit to his new peaceful life. He delivers another epic monologue, about the righteous path he wants to walk and Samuel L. Jackson really sells the moment of Jules struggling with who he was and who he wants to be.

12 “Spider Just Caught A Couple Of Flies.”

Maynard (Duane Whitaker)

Quentin Tarantino is always effective at keeping audiences on their toes with where he takes the stories. However, he was still such a new voice in cinema at the time Pulp Fiction came out, so it was shocking to see some of the left turns he took audiences on. The confrontation between Butch and Marsellus was unexpected, but audiences assumed it would result in one of them being killed. However, when they stumbled into Maynard’s shop, the whole situation changed.

With this one line, the audience begins to realize things around about to go down a very strange and dark path. It takes the movie into a somewhat surreal territory with the idea that there are violent and twisted people hiding all around the underbelly of Los Angeles just waiting for a “flay” to get caught in their web. It also gives the haunting hint of how often this has happened before.

11 “And Now, Little Man, I Give This Watch To You.”

Captain Koons (Christopher Walken)

There have been some brilliant Quentin Tarantino monologues in his career, but it is hard to top the famous gold watch scene in Pulp Fiction. Christopher Walken gives one of the great one-scene movie performances in a flashback as a young Butch is met by a soldier named Captain Koons who served with his father. Koons goes into a long history of a watch owned by Butch’s father that was passed down through the generations.

It is a gripping and harrowing tale that suddenly takes a hilarious left turn, fitting with the style of the unpredictable movie. Once again, it is not just the punchline of the scene that makes it memorable and Tarantino ensures that the audience is invested in this multi-generational story and what it means to Butch’s own story. Walken perfectly plays the sudden absurdity before returning to the stoic delivery as he now presents the watch to Butch.

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