By promising to only make ten movies in his career, and somewhat cheating by claiming both Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Kill Bill: Vol. 2 are one movie, director Quentin Tarantino’s filmography is easy to assess. Among his nine films to date, many have been enormous successes and are considered masterpieces by critics and fans alike. This includes the cinema-altering Pulp Fiction, the genius war movie Inglourious Basterds, and his directorial debut Reservoir Dogs.

However, among his ten, the most underrated is by far Jackie Brown, the 1997 blaxploitation homage that starred the likes of Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, and Robert Forster. Tarantino’s only adaptation to date, based on the 1992 novel Rum Punch by author Elmore Leonard, Jackie Brown boasts a “certified fresh” 88% score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. A favorite of critics, Jackie Brown doesn’t get the love it deserves from wider audiences. Acclaimed critic Peter Bradshaw wrote in 2022, “This is a stone-cold liquid nitrogen classic from Tarantino and a magnificent performance from Grier.” If you are one of the many who have let this movie pass you by in favor of Pulp Fiction or Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, next month is your chance to rectify the mistake. Starting April 1, you’ll be able to stream Jackie Brown for free on Plex, joining an impressively eye-catching list of other content on the platform. A synopsis for the movie reads:
“When flight attendant Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) is busted smuggling money for her arms dealer boss, Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson), agent Ray Nicolette (Michael Keaton) and detective Mark Dargus (Michael Bowen) want her help to bring down Robbie. Facing jail time for her silence or death for her cooperation, Brown decides instead to double-cross both parties and make off with the smuggled money. Meanwhile, she enlists the help of bondsman Max Cherry (Robert Forster), a man who loves her.”

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What Did ‘Jackie Brown’ Make at the Box Office?

Pam Grier and Robert Forster in Jackie BrownImage via Miramax

As Tarantino’s third movie, Jackie Brown didn’t receive the sort of marketing that more modern efforts from his catalog are treated to. However, that didn’t stop the film from becoming a box office success, earning $74.7 million worldwide against a budget reported to be in the region of $12 million. This total was split between a haul of $39.7 million in the U.S. and Canada, and a further $35.1 million from overseas markets.

Jackie Brown will stream on Plex this April. Stay tuned to Collider for more streaming stories.

Release Date

December 25, 1997

Runtime

154 minutes

Producers

Bob Weinstein, Elmore Leonard, Harvey Weinstein