Quentin Tarantino is finally coming out with his ninth-film; Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (Here’s our review for that film, by the way). For those of you unfamiliar with the legendary and controversial director’s work, I felt that now would be the most appropriate time to release a ranking of his works (excluding Once Upon A Time In Hollywood). This list is as non-biased as a long-time Tarantino fan can make it, and please understand that even the “worst” movies in this list are still some of my favorites in general. So without further ado, let’s dive into the Tarantino universe.
9) Death Proof (2007)
Why is Death Proof sitting at the tippy top of the ranking list? Well if you are a casual fan of Tarantino’s directions, have you ever heard of or watched it? I’m sure its a 50/50 split, but either way here we go. Death Proof is a slasher/thriller movie that follows stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell), who enjoys taking advantage of young girls. Although he may be in over his head as he targets a group of women, much more street-tough than his normal prey.
Again, not much to say here about Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof. I won’t say that a movie that isn’t critically acclaimed can’t still be great, but I don’t think Death Proof is it. It’s not that this is a bad movie. It isn’t. The film has a cult following, and while it is interesting, I cannot justify placing it higher than his other films. Unlike many other lists out on the web.
8) Jackie Brown (1997)
Jackie Brown is a good movie. Let me say that before I continue. As I said above, all these movies are, at least, good. The movie follows the flight attendant Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) who is busted smuggling money for her arms dealing boss, Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson). Faced with a long prison sentence, Jackie sets out to help the FBI catch and put Robbie away for life. Although she secretly is after the half-million dollars the Feds hope to catch Robbie with herself. She is also not the only one after the money.
I don’t have a whole lot to say about this film, I’m sorry to report. I completely understand why people love this movie so much, as it is another Tarantino cult classic in my opinion. To me though, I felt bored throughout most of it. What I will say though, is that Samuel L. Jackson gives a great performance as Ordell Robbie. It is just as if not more memorable than any other great role he has ever done, and I don’t say this lightly. Unfortunately though, Jackie Brown has just never been my cup of tea. While I said I would be unbiased, I cannot go completely against how I feel. Because of this, Jackie Brown sits at number 8 for me.
7) The Hateful Eight (2015)
The Hateful Eight is one of the more controversial Tarantino films. Not because of anything necessarily terrible in the movie, but more about it. People can’t seem to come to a consensus of whether or not it is good. I personally love the film, but I recognize when isn’t perfect. Taking place briefly after the Civil War, eight strangers are forced to hold out a blizzard in a small haberdashery. This eventually turns into a three hour, who done it, movie.
I had no problem with the length of the film, as I don’t think that there was anything too drawn out. All of the characters are unique and well played. I also think it is worth noting, that at least to me, the ending was quite unexpected. Although there are times where the movie can get quite boring. In total honesty, it reminds me of how people say every Zelda game after Ocarina of Time is “an adequate attempt at recapturing the magic,”. I say this because it reminds me of an adequate attempt at recreating a Pulp Fiction type movie, but falls tragically short.
6) Inglorious Basterds (2009)
I know that I am going to get scalped for putting this movie at number six, but here we go. Inglorious Basterds is a controversial masterpiece of Tarantino films. It is the perfect mixture of historical facts and his insane fantasy. The story follows Lt. Raine (Brad Pitt) and his elite squad of Jewish soldier badasses, known as, The Basterds. As they move throughout enemy lines slaughtering and scalping Nazi troops, a secret mission is issued that might give them the chance to assassinate Adolf Hitler.
While this film is incredible in so many ways, I feel that it just doesn’t match up to the remaining five films. Don’t get me wrong Christoph Waltz (My favorite actor) gives an unforgettable performance as the sinister, silver-tongued “Jew Hunter”. Not to mention that the story is unique, brutal, and attention-grabbing. I stand behind my opinion that it doesn’t match up to some of his other great films.
5) Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004)
I know what you’re thinking, “Wait I thought you said there were only 8 films.” Well yes, there are, but while Tarantino considers Kill Bill as one movie, though they were released as two. Kill Bill: Volume 2 is the unforgettable conclusion to the Kill Bill franchise and another one of Tarantino’s most critically acclaimed films. It follows the story of the nameless assassin (Uma Thurman), and her quest to take revenge on Bill, and his assassin group who attempted to murder her.
Don’t get me wrong these are incredible moments, and there are plenty more great scenes throughout the movie. To me though, it is a relatively generic movie, there is nothing that drastically stands out or differentiates itself from the genre. When I think of Volume 1, I remember it in its entirety, hence why you will see it ranking higher.
4) Django Unchained (2012)
Now for reasons I will never understand, Django Unchained is possibly the second most critically acclaimed film in Tarantino’s portfolio although long-time Tarantino fans rarely never have anything positive to say about it. Django (Jamie Foxx) is a slave before the Civil War, who is freed by a german man named Dr. Schultz (Christoph Waltz). The kind Doctor reveals to Django that he is a bounty hunter, and recruits Django as his partner. The two go on a grand adventure hunting thieves, murderers, and eventually the man who bought Django’s wife.
I placed this film in the top 5 not only because it is one of my favorites, but because it deserves it. There are a plethora of excellent performances throughout such as Foxx, Waltz, and Leonardo DiCaprio. The story is intriguing, and many parts will have you on the edge of your seat. I will never understand someone who claims to be a Tarantino fan but chastises this film. It is filled to the brim with his wacky charm. Again, a mystery I one day hope to solve.
3) Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
Kill Bill: Volume 1 was the first Tarantino film I ever had the privilege of watching, and boy was it a crazy one to start with. The story follows a nameless assassin (Uma Thurman) who is brutally betrayed by her ex-employer, Bill. After waking up from a three-year coma, she swears revenge on her old group of assassins who took part in her attempted murder.
The debate over which movie is better (Volume 1 or 2) is as old as the movies themselves. My reasoning for placing 1 above 2 is simple, it is far more unique and engaging. There is truly nothing out in cinema like this movie, the way it is presented can be compared to a live-action anime. The fight scenes, over-the-top gore, and emotional extremes paint a beautiful masterpiece. Uma Thurman delivers an unforgettable performance and plays the only assassin with the chance of standing up to John Wick.
2) Reservoir Dogs (1992)
I started this article by saying that I would be as non-biased as possible, so please realize how much self-restraint it has taken me to leave this movie at number 2. Without a doubt, Reservoir Dogs is my all-time favorite Tarantino movie. It is a crime thriller that follows the story of six expert thieves teaming up for a jewelry heist. In what would become a Tarantino staple in his other films, the movie’s story is told in a jumbled order but somehow flows perfectly.
As this was his first movie, Tarantino had a very low budget for the film. It isn’t hard to spot this as most of the movie takes place in one location, but the beautiful thing is how well it worked. Even if this movie had a $100 million budget, I couldn’t see it being any better had the setting changed much more. Every actor gives an exquisite performance, although Michael Madsen will go down in history for his performance as Mr. Blonde. If you have never seen a Tarantino film, and are looking to see what the guy is all about, I implore you. WATCH THIS MOVIE!
1) Pulp Fiction (1994)
You are crazy if you clicked on this list and expected me to put anything other than Pulp Fiction as the number one Tarantino movie. Don’t get me wrong, as much as I adore this movie, Reservoir Dogs is my favorite. Unfortunately, I just cannot justify placing any of the other previous movies ahead of this groundbreaking gem.
Pulp Fiction has without a doubt the greatest cast. Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, John Travolta, and of course, Bruce Willis. If this band of badasses doesn’t sell it for you, the movie has simply the most intriguing, out of this world, plot. While complicated to sum up, it follows the stories of several different characters whose lives unfortunately intertwine. The story is told completely out of order, so you have to pay attention to piece it all together. Not to mention the fact that Tarantino fabricated a bible verse that made me, a devote Catholic, believe it was real. I think it fair to say that Pulp Fiction’s insane wackiness solidifies it as the greatest Tarantino movie of all time.
