Pulp Fiction

The film is presented in a nonlinear narrative structure as explained above. The following is a linear summary of the film's plot:

A young Butch Coolidge is visited by Captain Koons, an Air Force pilot. Koons reveals a gold watch to Butch and explains that the watch is a family heirloom and belonged to Butch's father, who served with Koons and died in a POW camp in the Vietnam War. Koons hands the watch down to Butch.

In the present time, two hitmen, Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega, drive to an apartment to retrieve a briefcase for their boss, Los Angeles gangster Marsellus Wallace, from a dishonest business partner, Brett. On the way, Vincent mentions that he has been tasked by Marsellus to take his wife, Mia Wallace, to dinner that night. They enter the apartment, finding the briefcase, Brett, and an informant for Marsellus named Marvin. Jules recites a fictional passage from the Book of Ezekiel before he and Vincent kill Brett.

Immediately afterward another man bursts out of the bathroom and fires at them. The two, inexplicably uninjured, kill the man and leave with Marvin. While driving, Vincent accidentally shoots Marvin in the head, covering the two and the car's interior in blood. They hide the car at the home of Jules' friend Jimmie, who demands they deal with Marvin's corpse and the blood-stained car before his wife, Bonnie, comes home. Marsellus sends a cleaner, Winston Wolfe, who directs Jules and Vincent to hide the body in the trunk, clean the car, dispose of their bloody clothes and take the car to a junkyard. When the car and clothes have been rid of, Jules and Vincent eat breakfast at a diner. Jules tells Vincent that he plans to retire from his life of crime, convinced that their survival at the apartment was divine intervention. Vincent does not believe that their survival was anything more than peculiar.

At the same time, a pair of thieves, Pumpkin and Honey Bunny, are seated nearby and preparing to rob the diner. When Vincent is in the bathroom, they begin the robbery and demand Marsellus' briefcase from Jules. Jules overpowers Pumpkin and holds him at gunpoint, causing Honey Bunny to become hysterical. She points her gun at Jules and Vincent returns and points his gun at her. Jules defuses the situation, allowing the two to keep the money from only his wallet and letting them leave. Jules and Vincent leave shortly afterwards with the briefcase.

Jules and Vincent go with the briefcase to visit Marsellus in a bar. At the bar, Marsellus bribes an aging Butch to intentionally lose in his upcoming boxing match. That night, Vincent purchases heroin from his drug dealer, Lance. He shoots up and drives to meet Mia at her house. They eat at a 1950s-themed restaurant and participate in a twist contest, then return home. While Vincent is in the bathroom, Mia finds his heroin, mistakes it for cocaine, and snorts it. She passes out from an overdose, and Vincent rushes her to Lance's house, where they revive her by injecting her heart with adrenaline. Vincent and Mia agree never to tell Marsellus about the incident.

Butch double-crosses Marsellus by killing his opponent. He plans to flee with his girlfriend, Fabienne, but discovers that she has forgotten to pack the gold watch. Returning to his apartment to retrieve it, he notices a MAC-10 submachine gun on the kitchen counter and hears the toilet flush. Vincent, who had been staking out Butch's apartment, emerges from the bathroom. Butch kills him with the gun and leaves. While returning to the motel he sees Marsellus crossing the road. Marsellus chases Butch into a pawnshop. Maynard, the shop owner, captures them at gunpoint and gags them in the basement. Maynard and his accomplice, Zed, take Marsellus into another room and rape him. Butch breaks free from his restraints and kills Maynard with a katana, freeing Marsellus. Marsellus tells Butch that he has been forgiven and instructs him to tell no one about the incident, and to depart Los Angeles forever. Butch picks up Fabienne on Zed's chopper and they ride off.