What Was Really Inside The Briefcase In Pulp Fiction

Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction has remained a cultural icon since its release in 1994. Whether it be for its gimp-inhabited sex dungeon or a pocket watch passed down through generations of (literal) arseholes, there’s something for everyone from the thoughtful, if a little twisted, director.

One thing that has never been revealed from one of pop culture’s most revered hits, is what’s exactly in the briefcase vehemently guarded throughout the duration of the film. Screeching into the wind like Brad Pitt with a package delivery, Tarantino fans have often begged the question of what’s in the box - and there’s more than one theory that has struck proverbial gold.

Never confirmed but never denied either, the ideas circulating the internet since its release have been met with Tarantino claiming the briefcase to be nothing more than an empty prop with a light bulb inside, used as a metaphor with no fixed meaning. In short, it's monogrammed for a Mr. MacGuffin, and can be "whatever we want it to be".

There's plenty that can be taken from such a loose explanation, from unimaginable riches to supernatural mysteries. Some particularly fitting ideas have been put forward on what the contents might literally be - deeper meaning be damned.

Tarantino’s first directorial debut, Reservoir Dogs, sees a group of thieves botch a diamond heist and consequently attempt to uncover a police mole in their outfit. But that’s unimportant - it’s the diamonds themselves that play into what the briefcase could be hiding in its leathery maw. Many have theorised that Pulp Fiction, the second film in Tarantino’s filmography, holds a subtle nod to its predecessor by having Vincent and Jules protect the jewels so desperately sought by Mr Pink and gang.

Whilst this is pretty nice and fits in with the director's referential style, not to mention his wider shared universe, the golden glow from the case denotes something a little more colourful hidden away in there than boring old diamonds. Still, it's a possibility, and the writers (Tarantino and Avery) claimed it was the initial idea for the contents before deciding to keep the case out of frame.