Natural Born Killers

Natural Born Killers is a stylish, violent, and controversial movie from 1994 directed by Oliver Stone. With a star-studded cast featuring Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, and Tom Sizemore, this movie pushes the envelope on how we perceive violence, media, and celebrity culture. Not for the faint of heart, this film merges multiple complex backgrounds with an innovative aesthetic that is typical of Stone’s edgy sensibility.

Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis play Mickey and Mallory Knox, an unconventional couple who escape their traumatic and abusive pasts to find solace in each other. With a twisted perception of love and freedom, they embark on a wild journey across the country, committing a series of brutal - yet strangely glamorous - murders. This brutally symbolic spree captures the attention of the media, making them infamous cult figures amongst the wider public, mimicking a grotesque, nihilistic Bonnie and Clyde.

The media, represented by scummy, ruthless tabloid journalist Wayne Gale (played by Robert Downey Jr.), glorifies the duo’s horrific deeds, feeding into their notoriety. The media frenzy surrounding the pair also attracts the attention of Detective Jack Scagnetti (Tom Sizemore), who becomes equally as obsessed with capturing the couple as they are in their quest for freedom and rebellion. This forms a fascinating dynamic that makes us question who the real villains of the story are.

Natural Born Killers is stylized to almost surreal levels. Its cinematographic and narrative oddities are enhanced by the screenplay accredited to Quentin Tarantino, with Stone and associates adding to the story. Each scene is contoured through a color palette reminiscent of a hallucination while the narrative jumps around, purposely jumbling the linear timeline. Stone mixes mediums - animation, sitcom parodies, newscasts - to create a collage of popular imagery, reflecting the media-saturated world we live in.

Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis deliver profoundly raw and stark performances, bringing a riveting intensity that is hard to look away from, even in the more brutal occurrences. As the sadistic, fame-hungry couple, the actors dive deep into their depraved roles, making Mickey and Mallory eerily compelling. Simultaneously, the supporting players, notably Robert Downey Jr., bring another level of mockery and critique to the media circus.

Tom Sizemore's portrayal of the equally violent and seemingly "clean-cut" lawman following the killers offers stark contrast, highlighting how the chase after them becomes as much a personal obsession as a mission for justice. His life and actions become a mirror of the brutality he is trying to suppress, adding another layer to the complex, perverse loop of violence that envelops all characters in the movie.

The maverick, non-linear storytelling, coupled with graphic violent content and satirical themes, make the movie a challenge which many may find difficult to stomach. However, it’s all part of Stone's eclectic bravado. Provocatively, Natural Born Killers seems to suggest that media can be an accessory to crime, creating celebrities out of criminals and driving the audience's morbid fascination with violence to new heights.

The film's visceral nature, challenging themes, and controversial portrayal of violence have made Natural Born Killers an indelible classic in its own right. It creates an intentional viewing discomfort as it uncovers we might be as complicit as the media in glorifying systemic violence. Skewed perspectives presented to the audience unsettle and provoke, making Stone’s film a comment on the broader, disturbing fascination society can have towards brutality. It’s a film that forces its viewers to look inside and question their response to such dire circumstances.

Like it or hate it, Natural Born Killers sticks with you long after the credits have rolled. It’s an uncompromising, audacious exploration of the dark side of the American dream, a critique of the culture of celebrity and a damning indictment of media’s role in shaping and disseminating violence. With its blend of bravura performances, frenzied visual styles, and hard-hitting social commentary, it remains one of the most unforgettable cinematic experiences of the 1990s.