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12 Movies Like Natural Born Killers And How To Watch Them
By Philip Sledge,
11 days ago
Thirty years ago Oliver Stone unleashed Natural Born Killers upon the world and gave us one of the best movies of the ‘90s . This blood-soaked and genre-bending thrill ride about two young lovers who’ll do anything (and kill anyone) to stay together features some of the best performances by Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, and Robert Downey Jr. at that point in their respective careers, and has been a lot of fun to revisit.
If you’ve recently gone back and watched the film Quentin Tarantino has long despised , now that it’s one of the best movies on Netflix and would like other options that have something in common with it, stick around. Here are 12 movies like Natural Born Killers and how to watch them.
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)
Badlands (1973)
Terrence Mallick is best known for ambitious, beautifully shot, and evocative epics about space, time, love, and human emotion. But before he went on to direct The Thin Red Line and The Tree of Life , he made his directorial debut with Badlands , a 1973 crime drama inspired by the story of Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate.
Starring Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek, the film follows a young couple as they embark upon a killing spree and try to find a place for themselves in the world. Though not as trippy or chaotic as Natural Born Killers , this is a perfect companion piece.
Like Natural Born Killers , True Romance was written by Quentin Tarantino, but unlike Oliver Stone’s 1994 crime flick, the filmmaker doesn’t seem to have as much of a problem with Tony Scott’s take on his material. This wild and chaotic crime drama follows two lovers (played by Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette) as they go on the run after a chance encounter and a lot of bloodshed.
You can see similar elements throughout both films, but this 1993 defining movie is a more toned-down affair that focuses more on the love shared by the leads and less on the sensationalist approach of ‘90s media figures.
A ‘90s movie no one talks about , Man Bites Dog , for a lack of better terms, is a biting satirical crime comedy about a documentary crew that follows a cold-blooded killer (played by Benoît Poelvoorde) as carries out a series of murders. Bleak, violent, and nihilistic as all hell, the movie explores the media’s role in not only covering violent acts as spectators but also accomplices in the crimes.
Released less than two months after Natural Born Killers , Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction quickly became one of the most popular and influential films of 1994 with its non-linear structure, iconic characters, and intertwined tales of crime, violence, and cultural references. All four of the storylines are great in their respective ways, so much so that it’s hard to rank them, honestly.
Easily Tarantino’s best movie , Pulp Fiction is going to be perfect for anyone who loved what aspects of his NBK script made the final cut and want more of his signature wit and knack for incredible storytelling and dialogue.
Though somewhat hard to find these days (it’s not streaming or available digitally), David Lynch’s Wild at Heart is worth seeking out. Similar to Natural Born Killers , it tells the story of two young lovers who go on the run, though there are some key differences in how the road trip gets underway.
If you’re into couples going to great lengths to be together, violent stories, and all-time great performances by Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern, then Wild at Heart is going to do the trick.
Ridley Scott’s Thelma & Louise follows the tight bond shared by Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon’s titular characters as they embark upon an epic American road trip after being wanted by the law. Featuring one of the best female friendships ever captured on film, this iconic ‘90s movie is full of great moments that have become the stuff of legend.
The Coen Brothers’ Fargo tells the story of a car salesman (played by William H. Macy) who comes up with a far-fetched scheme to get himself out of debt. But when the plan ultimately goes awry, everyone involved has something coming their way.
Though set in the frozen Midwest instead of the desert like Natural Born Killers , Fargo explores how seemingly normal people can find themselves caught up in the violence and evil of the criminal underworld. And like NBK , it has some unforgettably bloody scenes.
You couldn’t have Natural Born Killers without Bonnie & Clyde or the real-life couple on which this 1967 crime classic was based. Telling the story of the titular pair of bank robbers (played by Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway) as they ride across the country robbing and killing, the movie does a tremendous job of exploring love, violence, and the freedom of the American spirit.
Okay, David Fincher’s Fight Club doesn’t deal with acts of murder, cross-country road trips, or prison riots, but it does capture the pulse of 1999 better than most movies released that year. Similar to Natural Born Killers in its messaging, this movie is about a group of men shunned by society starting a revolution, for better or worse.
Brad Pitt and Edward Norton kill it around every turn, and their iconic characters ’ attack on society (as misguided as it is) works perfectly to create an iconic and unforgettable experience.
One of the great movies under 90 minutes , Run Lola Run makes the most of its short runtime with a story about a young woman (played by Franka Potente) as she races against time to save her boyfriend from a vengeful crime boss.
Much like Natural Born Killers , Tom Tykwer’s thriller has a fast-and-furious atmosphere and attitude, wasting no time to tell its unique and frenzied story.
Three years before Oliver Stone gave us Natural Born Killers , he released JFK , a three-hour crime epic diving into the fallout of the assassination of John F. Kennedy and one man’s quest to prove a conspiracy was involved. Though not the most historically accurate movie , JFK is a thrilling and intense experience.
Plus, if you like all those wild camera cuts and the use of different film stock in NBK, you’re going to love what Stone and company did here.
Richard Brooks’ 1967 adaptation of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood is still considered one of the greatest crime films nearly 60 years after its release. Telling the story of the violent murder of the Clutter family in rural Kansas, this black-and-white thriller explores senseless crime and how it impacts those on both sides of the gun.
Each of these movies has at least one thing in common with Natural Born Killers . If you want even more blood-soaked or mind-bending crime flicks, there are countless available to watch on some of the best streaming services .
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