Trunk Shot



Usually deployed in any movie which involves a character placing or retrieving something in the trunk (boot, if you're using British English) of a car. POV will usually be from within the trunk looking up at the character opening it.

Popularised by Quentin Tarantino who has a Trunk Shot in all of his films.

See Punk in the Trunk for one of the ways this shot can be used.

Film

 * He Walked By Night : Credited with being the first film to use this trope.
 * Goodfellas
 * Every Quentin Tarantino movie ever:
 * Jackie Brown
 * Kill Bill
 * Pulp Fiction
 * Reservoir Dogs
 * From Dusk till Dawn
 * Death Proof (Inverted, this one is actually a shot from under the front hood of a car).
 * Inglourious Basterds (Actually, the POV is just lying on the ground.)
 * Grand Theft Auto Vice City gives us this as a Shout-Out to Pulp Fiction, just before Lance and Tommy lay siege to Ricardo Diaz's estate.
 * Laid to Rest
 * Meet the Robinsons. A Shout-Out to Tarantino in a Disney film. With frogs.
 * Hot Fuzz. Also an intentional Shout-Out. Ta da.

Live Action TV

 * Supernatural -- the Winchesters keep their weapons in the trunk, and so represents their "family business." The last shot of the pilot is a dramatic trunk shot with the trunk slamming shut serving as a cut to black. Also an example of Book Ends, as season 2 ends with the exact same shot, and line ("Let's get to work.").
 * It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia uses this trope in "Paddy's Pub: The Worst Bar in Philadelphia" Given the context, it may be an additional shout-out to Tartatino's films in general
 * Life On Mars: Gene Hunt does this to Sam Tyler at least once.
 * The Pilot episode of The Streets of San Francisco (1972) contains one near the end of an episode, when Stone, Keller and Malone find a chest with victim's belongings.