Okay, you may not believe this, but back in the old days, movies featuring criminals relied on something called dialogue to make a point. CGI hadn't been invented, cars didn't go that fast, and a high body count was just plain tacky. Nowadays special effects do most of the talking -- but fear not -- witty repartee isn't completely dead. We had to dig a little, but we found some modern examples of movies where repartee, fast comebacks, petty arguments, and full on verbal smackdowns are still king.
7. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Four regular guys end up owing a ton of cash (and a few fingers) to a local crime boss. The solution? Wait for the drug dealers next door to rip off a supplier, then rip off the drug dealers. Guy Ritchie's film is an incredibly entertaining blend of action, comedy, and smartass comments.
6. Heist
While not as well-known as Glengarry Glen Ross (#3 on the list), David Mamet's Heist still has plenty of his trademark banter. Danny DeVito plays a sleazy fence who stiffs Gene Hackman's gang of criminals then blackmails them into going after a shipment of Swiss gold. Twists get turned, cons get conned, and everyone talks tough. But DeVito's blistering phone call is a standout.
5. Reservoir Dogs
Quentin Tarantino put himself on the map with this quintessential caper. In Tarantino's world, everyone is a world-class smartass, ready to fire off a pithy comment (or a semiautomatic weapon) at any moment. He's especially fond of the hardened criminal going off about something incredibly mundane — like a nickname, for example.
4. The Usual Suspects
A near-perfect example of the Big-Heist-Gone-Bad movie. Five of the hardest mofos in town are brought together by a legendary criminal mastermind to pull off the biggest job of their careers—or are they? The police lineup scene at the top of the film is a favorite, but we think the wisecracks in the interrogation that follows are even better.
3.Glengarry Glen Ross
This is Mamet's acidic day-in-the-life-of four cut-throat real estate salesmen. Sure it's famous for the staggering number of F-bombs dropped by the all-star cast, but it's also a must-see for any fan of smack talk. And while not a crime drama per se, it does involve a theft perpetrated by Ed Harris, and his scene near the end of the film with Al Pacino and Jack Lemmon is a jaw-dropping example of verbal violence.
2. Pulp Fiction
Tarantino came back strong after Reservoir Dogs with a story that practically overflowed with snappy patter. In fact, if you cut all the scenes in Pulp Fiction that were nothing but two guys talking mostly about… nothing, you'd probably have about 20 minutes of footage. But you don't hear us complaining.
1. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Robert Downey Jr. (in a surprise twist) plays a total screw-up of a petty thief. Accidentally stumbling into a New York movie audition, he's mistaken for an actor and flown to LA to star in a detective film. There, he meets his advisor, "real" detective Val Kilmer. Murder, mysteries, and snarky comments ensue. Kilmer and Downey are an unlikely but brilliant pair in this underappreciated gem.
