Since his directorial debut in 1992, Quentin Tarantino has made himself a household name in Hollywood. The two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker has made an everlasting impression with his movies, showcasing his talent with breakneck dialogue, nonlinear storytelling,and a stylistic approach to violence. His unique craft has contributed to some of the most entertaining and memorable, albeit audacious works in the last two decades as well as garner influence on many filmmakers of this generation. That is why today, we are take a look at Mr. Tarantino's films ranked from worst to best. Now keep in mind, this is based on my opinion so I fully understand that there will be some disagreements on this list.
10. Death Proof
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Starring Kurt Russell as a Hollywood stunt driver with killer intentions, Death Proof is a Grindhouse-style action flick that pay homages to classic action movies from the 70s and 80s that some memorable moments including a shocking car crash sequence exhilarating car chase in the final scene. However, the film held very little of the substance that made Tarantino's other films entertaining hits, and as a result, ended up being the weakest entry in his filmography. This film has its defenders, some even calling it their favorite, but to me, it was rather unremarkable.
9. The Hateful Eight
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Kurt Russell strikes the list again with this western dark comedy set in Antebellum era. When a violent blizzard strikes a snowy mountainous area in Wyoming, eight strangers take shelter inside a haberdashery where everyone grows suspicious one another and tension boil with gruesome consequences. Tarantino crafts this film with a chock full of cutthroat dialogue and dark humor that breeds that occasionally breeds moments of bold social commentary on the horrors of the civil war, but his approach to violence too often tows the line of exploitative and mean-spirited, and the whole 'whodunit' that plays a major role in the tension felt rather derivative. Beyond some powerful performances by Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, and Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight is mildly entertaining, but far from his most polished work.
8. Kill Bill: Volume 2
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The sequel continuing the story of martial arts expert known as The Bride (Uma Thurman) seeking revenge against the eponymous man who attempted to murder her on her wedding day, Kill Volume: Volume 2 packs a punch in its finale but the moments leading up to this overlong slog are painfully meandering that dedicate more time into paying homages to old western flicks than telling a compelling story. Uma Thurman remains as compelling as the lead protagonist as she was in the predecessor, but that along with some shocking yet satisfying moments are not quite enough to compensate for the sophomoric plotting.
7. Jackie Brown
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Paying tribute to the 70s blaxploitation flicks, this film stars Pam Grier as the eponymous character, a flight attendent who gets caught up in an arms smuggling operation orchestrated by arms dealer Ordell Robbie (played by Samuel L. Jackson). Jackie Brown moves along with a captivating mystery plot complete with Tarantino's trademark dialogue, but it doesn't quite sustain its 153-minute runtime. This film provides its fair share of snappy humor and slam-bang performances to make up for its few flaws.
6. Kill Bill: Volume 1
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Easily one of Tarantino's most violent works, the first half of the Kill Bill saga is abundantly intriguing, following Uma Thurman has a woman who's left in a coma after being attacked at on her wedding day by a gang known as The Deadly Viper Assassination Squad led by the titular leader (David Carradine). Waking up four years later, she conspires revenge against Bill, honing her martial arts skills and taking out the squad one-by-one. Uma Thurma lights the screen on fire with her performance, and equally as impressive is the direction Tarantino drives the film, leading up to one of the bloodiest and exhilarating fight sequences in which Thurman fights solo against a squad of 88 sword-wielding assassins. You may never witness a sword battle more impressive than this.
5. Reservoir Dogs
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His debut film, Reservoir Dogs boasts the likes of Harvey Keital, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Michael Madsen, Edward Bunker, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, and Tarantino himself as a squad of criminals who compose a jewel heist that goes terribly wrong, and before they know it, they began to turn each other upon suspicions one of them set them up. This movie introduced the director's penchant for orchestrating tension through dialogue and bringing humanity to the characters with pop culture references. It is also the home of one of the most infamous torture sequences that left a shock on viewers upon its initial release.
4. Once Upon A Time in Hollywood
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His most recent picture, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood operates as a love letter to the film industry as well as a revenge fantasy against the infamous Manson Murders of 1969. Leonardo Dicaprio stars at Rick Dalton, a fictional movie star who is facing a decline in his career when he finds a glimmer of hope in starring in a western TV series. Along his side is his stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) as the film navigates through the streets of Hollywood where we meet actress Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) who operates as the core of the story. Funny, brutal, and witty in its commentary about the Hollywood industry, this movie was a truly remarkable experience with one of the outrageous climaxes who are bound to witness in a Tarantino flick.
3. Django Unchained
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Set in the 1850s south, Jamie Foxx plays the eponymous protagonist, a black slave who is freed by Germn bounty hunter King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) who leads on a journey across the south to locate his (Django's) wife who being held captive by a vicious plantation owner. This slave master is played by Leonardo Dicaprio who strikes a chord with arguably his most audacious performance yet, defying against his good guy image with his cruel demeanor. Django Unchained turns the table on history to deliver a violent, darkly funny revenge tale that equally as fascinating as it is uncomfortable, moving at a brisk pace with burst of violence that demonstrate Tarantino's style in one of his finest forms.
2. Pulp Fiction
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Landing him his first Oscar of Best Screenplay, Pulp Fiction illustrates a near-perfect blend of violence, pop culture, mystery, and a heavy dose of witty humor including a conversation between John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson about "royale with cheese" in the opening scene. Following the interconnecting lives of Los Angeles where each characters has a blind date with fate that spins their lives out of control, this is a monumental film that encapsulated the idiosyncratic style in some of the most memorable ways as well as being his most quotable film to date.
1. Inglourious Basterds
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Taking creative liberties from the history of World War II in the European front, Inglourious Basterds stars Brad Pitt, sporting a lavish southern accent, as Lieutenant Aldo Raine who leads a group of Jewish soldiers to hunt down Nazis in Germany. Interconnecting his plot is German actress Bridget Von Hammersmark who plots to bring down Adolt Hitler, the leader of the Third Reich, leading Aldo is join forces with her to take down Hitler and his army. This film boast a shockingly charismatic performance by Christoph Waltz who plays Nazi officer SS Colonel Hans Landa, some stretches of colorful dialogue punctuated with bursts of violence, compelling characters, and an outstanding climax that demonstrates his fetish for revenge fantasies. The film presents everything I love about Tarantino, and that's it takes the #1 spot on this list.
