“Reservoir Dogs,” which is now known as Quentin Tarantino’s first feature film, has become one of the most studied and respected crime films in cinema history. The film tells the story of a robbery and its consequences on all the characters involved. As Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) waits impatiently in the safe house, viewers witness what we consider a pause-worthy moment, not to mention a violent one.
Mr. Blonde holds a police officer prisoner and, while injuring him, turns on the radio and starts dancing to its tunes. Without a doubt, this a scene we urge you to pause and soak in!
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
In this thriller, director Stanley Kubrick gives us a look into a world full of secrets, lies, and deception. "Eyes Wide Shut" feels like the culmination of a career spent telling stories of every stripe; it's at once horrifying, intimate, and thrilling, and it explores a world that is unlike anything that could exist outside the mind of Kubrick. One of the most pause-worthy moments in the history of cinema takes place in this unique film.
When our protagonist, Bill Hartford, portrayed by Tom Cruise, arrives at a mysterious event of an obscure cult, we encounter an intimate ceremony. This unforgettable moment has had viewers pressing pause for the past 20 years and will have fans pressing pause for years to come.
Inception (2010)
One of the most captivating films of the century, "Inception," caught the eyes of many viewers. A complicated and unique plot that follows the powers and possibilities of lucid dreaming, Christopher Nolan's "Inception" is the source of an incredible pause-worthy moment. This moment happens when Leonardo DiCaprio, playing Cobb, takes his student Ariadne into a common dream in Paris, France.
That's when Ariadne takes action and uses her imagination to create an impossible architectural wonder in what is already one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The moment, a beautiful one, is one of the most pause-worthy moments and one for our list!
The Matrix (1999)
Perhaps one of the biggest milestones in the action and science fiction genres was "The Matrix." The 1999 film was revolutionary in its plot and groundbreaking visual effects. If you've been living under a rock and haven't yet seen "The Matrix," let us summarize it for you (without any spoilers), the story takes place in a parallel reality, in which humanity is unknowingly living inside a simulated reality created by machines.
Though you had to pay close attention to the whole film to understand exactly what was going on, there was one moment that was particularly pause-worthy. Neo, played by Keanu Reeves, is in the middle of an intense duel when he discovers his amazing ability. The slow-motion moment is a pause-worthy one for sure!
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
We're all familiar with the "Star Wars" franchise by this point, right? During the final scene of this film, Rey returns Luke Skywalker's old lightsaber to him. Since the film's release, fans have frequently questioned the movie's final frame, in which the rock Luke is standing next to seems to be a gravestone.
This lead many fans to believe that the stone was man-made and that Rey is Luke's daughter - is it possible that Luke's wife and Rey's mother are buried there? The theory has caused many to pause the frame in hopes of answering their open-ended questions!