30 years ago, a two-man gang of criminals thought they had gotten away with the perfect crime. Although there were some setbacks along the way, Seth and Richie Gecko found themselves in a supposed haven on the last leg of their getaway road trip. With a family held hostage, they entered the raunchiest, dirtiest, and most entertaining bar on the edge of the Mexican-American border. Their plan was to make it through the night and wait for their escort, who would take them towards safety and glory. Sounded like a great plan, right? Nevertheless, in From Dusk Till Dawn, plans are… fragile. Things don’t exactly go down the way they’re supposed to for the Gecko brothers.
In From Dusk Till Dawn, good is a theory, justice is chaotically delivered, and human decency is just a suggestion from the world that was left behind the border.
Robert Rodriguez’s iconic thriller from 1996 takes viewers to the derelict border – a forsaken area where two extremely violent criminals can pass through at the same time as a grieving family. It’s the place where the Geckos, with their corrupted morals, will meet their match. In From Dusk Till Dawn, good is a theory, justice is chaotically delivered, and human decency is just a suggestion from the world that was left behind the border.
‘From Dusk Till Dawn’ Is an Essential Crime Thriller That Turns Into Something Else When You Least Expect It
Rodriguez did not make his Hollywood debut with From Dusk Till Dawn, but he might as well have. His previous movies had caught the eye of Hollywood’s latest breakout, Quentin Tarantino, who saw in Rodriguez the perfect visionary to bring one of his scripts to life. And while it must have been intimidating to work alongside the Academy Award-winning director of Pulp Fiction, Rodriguez did not refrain from adding his own touch. It’s the reason why From Dusk Till Dawn feels like two auteur-driven movies in one – a gritty neo-Western crime thriller that meets an unhinged descent into a nightmare.
We won’t spoil the film for you, as this one works better if you go into it blind. Just be aware that, even 30 years after its original release, From Dusk Till Dawn still feels like an extremely risky movie because of what it dares to do after it presents its more traditional premise. It’s also what makes it the perfect definition of a modern classic that’s unlike anything you have ever seen and will ever see. Today’s Hollywood industry just doesn’t have the guts to deliver a movie of this nature.
“Now… This is my kind of place,” Seth Gecko says when he, his brother, and the Fullers enter the Titty Twister, the bar where the meetup is supposed to take place. It’s a strip club where truck drivers meet their darkest desires, and shady exchanges take place. As the mariachi/metal band sings a song about angry cockroaches smoking weed, the Gecko/Fuller group settles in. It is the beginning of a night that will turn into a fight for their lives, as the unimaginable unexpectedly happens.
Tarantino and Rodriguez’s crime thriller collaboration flows into a fever dream of a movie. A battle between good and evil transpires with a colorful ensemble cast that fuels the movie’s wildly original subject matter. The roster includes George Clooney and Juliette Lewis, as well as Tarantino himself, Harvey Keitel, Tom Savini, Fred Williamson, Cheech Marin, Danny Trejo, and Salma Hayek.
Rodriguez’s 30-year-old gem has aged perfectly, even with its questionable, non-PC dialogue and early CGI visual effects. It’s an essential film for viewers who are not afraid to explore bizarre variations of conventional stories and daring genre mashups that we don’t see often today. Even though it wasn’t a critical or box office hit, From Dusk Till Dawn is a memorable ’90s movie that, even with its flaws, turns out to be a cinematic experience that no one should hesitate to watch today. From Dusk Till Dawn is streaming for free on Pluto TV and is also available on Paramount+ with a subscription.
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