The article places Natural Born Killers within the cultural upheaval of the early 1990s, when grunge and alternative comedy challenged established music, television and film conventions. It argues that the film became a defining, controversial work of the era, while highlighting Trent Reznor’s role in curating its influential soundtrack and the project’s later importance to his career.

Written by Quentin Tarantino, the story follows lovers Mickey and Mallory Knox on a murderous journey across the American Southwest, drawing inspiration from Bonnie and Clyde and A Clockwork Orange. After Tarantino failed to raise the $500,000 needed to make the film, he sold the script for $10,000; it was subsequently acquired by Warner Bros. and developed by Oliver Stone as a stylised action film.