Reservoir Dogs (1992), directed by Quentin Tarantino, became a pivotal film in Hollywood history, not just for the overall quality of the film, but also for popularizing nonlinear storytelling. While it wasn’t the first film to use this technique, its success showcased the power of using fragmented timelines, flashbacks, and non-sequential narratives. However, the film's influence contributed to the once-groundbreaking style becoming a negative trend in storytelling, as the nonlinear structure started being used to make plots overly stylish and gimmicky rather than narratively essential.

Tapping the Reservoir

The film follows a group of criminals plotting a diamond heist. However, instead of telling the story chronologically, Reservoir Dogs starts near the end, with the aftermath of the failed heist, and gradually reveals key moments through a series of flashbacks. But the film never shows the heist itself, rather these flashbacks focus on the origins of the characters and how they came together. This approach helps build tension between the characters and intrigue around the heist, as viewers must piece together the narrative.

For Tarantino, this style was a way to keep the audience on their toes. Rather than following a predictable structure, he forced viewers to focus on the characters and dialogue. The nonlinear style enhanced the mystery of what exactly went wrong, allowed for deeper character exploration, and made the experience more immersive.

Dog and Pony Show

Following the success of Reservoir Dogs, nonlinear storytelling surged in popularity. The impact was widespread with both mainstream and indie films adopting the technique. Despite its effective use in some cases, the trend of using nonlinear storytelling for stylistic flair rather than necessity came to be problematic. Filmmakers often used it as a tool to seem innovative or intellectual, without it serving the story. This haphazard approach often takes away from character development, thematic depth, and narrative clarity. It works when tied to the emotional or thematic core of the film, but when it’s simply used as a device to obscure plot points or to make the film appear more intriguing than it actually is, it comes off hollow.

Not helping the gimmicky perception of it, nonlinear storytelling has the potential of alienating audiences by turning a straightforward story into an unnecessarily complex puzzle that offers little in return for the effort required to follow it. Telling stories out of sequence can also rob certain moments of their emotional weight. By jumping around in time, the natural build-up of suspense, emotional investment, and character arcs can be disrupted, making the story feel disjointed or emotionally flat.

As nonlinear storytelling became a trend, many films began to look alike, leading to a lack of originality. It became a standard formula to start at the climax, or the end, and then rewind to explain how the characters got there. The oversaturation of this diluted the impact and novelty of the technique, turning it into a cliché rather than a fresh way of telling stories.

Just like The Bourne Ultimatum did with shaky cam and quick-cutting, Reservoir Dogs did with nonlinear storytelling: The film used it innovatively to deepen its characters and intensify its plot, but inadvertently contributed to a wave of films misusing the technique due to misunderstanding what made it effective in the first place. When filmmakers prioritize style over substance, nonlinear storytelling can quickly become a gimmick that undermines the narrative rather than enhancing it.