Directed by Tony Scott — Screenplay by Quentin Tarantino.
Tony Scott’s True Romance follows Clarence (played by Christian Slater) and Alabama (played by Patricia Arquette), two newlyweds who are headed for Hollywood to start their new life together. However, before they got going, Clarence stole a suitcase of drugs, the loss of which has now put the couple at the top of the Mafia’s hit list.
This is one of those movies that’s been on my watchlist for quite some time. A little over a month ago, I finally got the Arrow Video 4K Blu-ray, and today I finally thought it was a good time to check out what this early ’90s flick was all about. I’m glad I did. True Romance is an exhilarating and irresistible crime charmer.
It’s fun to look back at it today in 2025, given that this film, from director Tony Scott and written by Quentin Tarantino, came out before Pulp Fiction. Indeed, Quentin Tarantino was not a household name at this point. When looking back today, even if you didn’t know, this movie was written by Quentin Tarantino; someone only vaguely familiar with his traits today would be able to tell from a mile away that this was his brainchild. Tony Scott does steer clear of some Tarantino trademarks, but this film is jam-packed with intense violence, profanity, quirky characters, and a love for movies and comic books. Though in Tony Scott’s hands, it becomes more of a straightforward, romantic but violent crime fantasy or fairytale than a dark romantic getaway that it might have been if Tarantino were in the director’s chair. Without getting into spoilers, Tony Scott steered away from Quentin Tarantino’s planned ending, which was a decision that didn’t initially please the gifted scribe, but, eventually, they agreed that what Tony Scott went for belonged and felt more earned in Tony Scott’s often delightfully rose-colored glass version of Alabama and Clarence‘s journey. I have to agree that, after having seen an alternate ending with commentaries by both filmmakers, what was eventually released to the public is a lot more satisfying. However, I do think the ending could’ve been sharper and more original.
At the center of the film, though, you find a romance between Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette’s characters. Let me be clear, this instantly rose up to the top of the charts as my number one Christian Slater film. I love his energy, and he is pitch-perfect as the kind of Tarantino-esque comic book store movie-obsessive. He’s rash, he’s funny, and his love for Arquette’s character is what drives him. Slater plays it perfectly. Arquette’s character, though definitely more of a fantasy than a living, breathing, human, multidimensional character, is equally lovable and fun to watch. Indeed, you quickly fall for the charming but unlikely on-the-road crime-infused romance getaway that they get tangled up in. In addition to sharing a great rapport, Arquette and Slater also share the fact that they are clad in excellent and colorful clothing thought up by costume designer Susan Becker. Whether it’s the matching red wedding outfits or the over-the-top, zany outfits in Los Angeles, it really adds to the irresistible charm that they give off. As does Hans Zimmer‘s effective and often both light and deliberately curious score.
I think it’s fair to say that the film can also feel a little bit messy, though. The thing is, there are just a lot of different characters in this film that pop up for small scenes, never to be seen again for the remainder of the film. There are shifts in perspective that don’t always work smoothly. However, despite this all-over-the-place structure, I thought the film really worked well. And, in my opinion, it was great fun to see what Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, Brad Pitt, Samuel L. Jackson, Val Kilmer, and Gary Oldman added to the film. Admittedly, some of these appearances are almost insignificant, but, then again, you also have Christopher Walken, Dennis Hopper, and Gary Oldman, all of whom shine. In the case of Walken and Hopper, their scene together is felt throughout the rest of the film and is arguably the highlight of the picture. And as for Gary Oldman, he turns in one of the goofiest performances I’ve ever seen him give, and I mean that as a compliment. It truly adds to the wacky nature of the film. I also must say, as someone who grew up in a household where Elvis is the king, I really enjoyed the little moments of dialogue about Presley, as well as the just-out-of-frame ghost-like guide that Val Kilmer got to play.
Like most of Tarantino‘s work in the 1990s, it really does feel groundbreaking. At the same time, I can also understand if contemporary audiences and critics wrote it off as a juvenile fantasy. But, frankly, that’s kind of what is great about it. It’s the irresistible charms and epic but intense violence, as well as the colorful characters, that really make this so entertaining. I think, for modern audiences, it’ll be extremely smooth and easy to get on its wavelength, as I did, and I hope its legacy will only keep growing so that it doesn’t just become a relic of the ’90s. Because Tony Scott and Quentin Tarantino‘s True Romance — a love-drunk teenage fantasy viewed through rose-tinted but bloodied glasses — is too good to be dismissed.
8.7 out of 10
– Review written by Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen.
I'm Jeffrey Rex 