Natural Born Killers
Movie, 1994, Written by Tarantino, Set in From his story; directed by Oliver Stone
Natural Born Killers is #4 of 13 in release order and #12 of 13 in chronological order in the Quentin Tarantino.
The story
Two victims of traumatized childhoods become lovers and serial murderers irresponsibly glorified by the mass media.
Natural Born Killers recap
Natural Born Killers (1994) follows a young couple on a murder spree across the Southwest whom the news media turns into celebrities. Mickey Knox (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory Knox (Juliette Lewis) kill everyone but one witness in a New Mexico diner, then flash back to how they met: Mickey delivered meat to Mallory's abusive family home, and together they murdered her parents. They claim 52 victims across three states. Detective Jack Scagnetti (Tom Sizemore), himself a killer, hunts them, and the tabloid host Wayne Gale (Robert Downey Jr.) makes them stars on his show American Maniacs. After they kill a Navajo man who sheltered them, both are bitten by snakes and captured at a drugstore. A year later Gale arranges a live prison interview, while Warden Dwight McClusky (Tommy Lee Jones) plots their deaths. Oliver Stone directs; his rewrite left Tarantino with a story credit, and Tarantino disowned it. It follows True Romance on the Written by Tarantino rail.
Natural Born Killers ending explained
Natural Born Killers ends with Mickey and Mallory free and raising a family. Mickey's live interview sparks a riot; he takes Gale and guards hostage, reaches Mallory, and she kills Scagnetti. They escape with Gale, who has started shooting guards himself, and in the woods they tell him his camera will be the witness they leave behind, then kill him. Years later they drive an RV while a pregnant Mallory watches their two children.
Post-credits scenes
No. Natural Born Killers has no mid- or post-credits scene.
Where to watch Natural Born Killers
Natural Born Killers isn't on a US streaming service right now. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.2/10, Rotten Tomatoes 52%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Pulp Fiction, before From Dusk Till Dawn.
- Chronological order: after True Romance, before From Dusk Till Dawn.
Cast
- Woody Harrelson as Mickey Knox
- Juliette Lewis as Mallory Knox
- Robert Downey Jr. as Wayne Gale
- Tommy Lee Jones as Warden Dwight McClusky
- Tom Sizemore as Det. Jack Scagnetti
- Rodney Dangerfield as Mallory's Dad
- Edie McClurg as Mallory's Mom
- Jared Harris as London Boy
- Russell Means as Old Indian
- Maria Pitillo as Deborah
- Sean Stone as Kevin
- Everett Quinton as Deputy Warden Wurlitzer
Directed by Oliver Stone.