In the ever-expansive world of crime and gangster cinema, two landmark films often hailed for their influence and style are Quentin Tarantino's 1992 directorial debut Reservoir Dogs and Guy Ritchie's 1998 directorial debut Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Both projects marked the arrival of their respective directors, but each also offered a distinct take on the crime genre, establishing frameworks still being pastiched today. Reservoir Dogs has long been one of my favorite movies, but a recommendation from a friend led me down a Guy Ritchie-shaped rabbit hole in which I finally experienced Lock, Stock for myself.

While Reservoir Dogs is routinely and deservedly cited as a groundbreaking work, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is undeniably the stronger of the two. Perhaps contrary to popular opinion, I'd argue Ritchie's first foray into filmmaking not only challenged Tarantino's opening salvo but in true David vs. Goliath fashion it won.