One of the most influential film noir classics ever made is streaming for free this month as part of the soft-launch of a brand-new platform that is slated to launch in earnest in October. The movie in question is considered a major inspiration behind the French New Wave, and has influenced directors such as Quentin Tarantino and Jean-Luc Godard. Interestingly, it is widely believed that the briefcase MacGuffin in Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction was directly inspired by a similar object in the film noir classic, although Tarantino has downplayed the overlap as mostly coincidental. He has, however, admitted that the movie in question inspired Bruce Willis’ character in Pulp Fiction.
The classic was released in 1955 and directed by Robert Aldrich. Starring Ralph Meeker as a private investigator who becomes embroiled in a mystery after picking up a female hitchhiker, the movie notably marked the feature film debut of Cloris Leachman. The movie wasn’t very successful in its initial release, which was further hampered by criticism aimed at its themes and characters. Committees claimed that the movie would be a negative influence on the youth. Tarantino was certainly influenced by it; he went on to say years later in an interview, “I wanted Butch to be a complete f***ing a**hole. I wanted him to be basically like Ralph Meeker as Mike Hammer in Aldrich’s movie. I wanted him to be a bully and a jerk, except that when he’s with his girlfriend, Fabienne, he’s a sweetheart.”
Here’s Where You Can Watch the Film Noir Classic for Free
Tarantino was talking, of course, about Kiss Me Deadly. Now considered “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress, the movie holds a near-perfect “Certified Fresh” 98% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. The site’s consensus reads, “An intriguing, wonderfully subversive blend of art and commerce, Kiss Me Deadly is an influential noir classic.” The film is available for free on JustWatch TV, the new free streaming platform set to launch in October with a host of other classics. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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May 18, 1955
- Runtime
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106 Minutes
- Director
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Robert Aldrich





















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