True Romance (1993)

True Romance is a fairy tale where the prince is a comic book clerk who takes life advice from a vision of Elvis. Clarence and Alabama fall in love in one night and marry by the next, and the movie never pretends that makes sense. Christian Slater plays Clarence like a kid acting out his favorite movies, so sure he’s the hero you worry for him once he’s on the road with a suitcase that belongs to the mob. Patricia Arquette is the soul of it, sweet and tough. The best scene has nothing to do with them: Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken in a trailer, trading a tense conversation that’s one of the great standoffs of the decade. Brad Pitt builds a whole character out of one couch. The hotel room finale is a chaotic free-for-all that runs long. It made $13.1 million worldwide on a reported $12.5M. A 7.7 because the side characters are electric and the romance is paper thin. $104 says you catch yourself asking what Elvis would do before a big decision.

What works: The Dennis Hopper and Christopher Walken scene is a masterclass, and Patricia Arquette makes Alabama impossible not to root for.

What doesn’t: The instant romance is paper thin, Clarence is more pose than person, and the finale is a chaotic free-for-all.

Who it’s for: Grown-ups who love a 90s crime movie stacked with famous faces in tiny, unforgettable roles.