There might not be a director with a bigger cult following than Quentin Tarantino. Powered by his signature brand of graphic violence, pop culture pastiches, and non-linear storytelling which established him as a leading voice in Hollywood, he’s one of the few directors whose films still occupy that rarefied air of “event cinema”. In the age of constant IP, his movies are consistently successful, both critically and commercially.
For every release though, there’s been controversy. He’s often faced criticism for being too heavy-handed with his depictions of violence, most famously in that interview with Krishnan Guru-Murthy. His liberal use of the N-word in Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown and Django Unchained brought hefty criticism from fellow director Spike Lee. And that’s not to mention his historic defence of disgraced director Roman Polanski, for which he was forced to apologise.
Tarantino is a divisive figure to say the least, one of the great “love ‘em or hate ‘em” figures in film circles – but’s hard to look at his filmography and not recognise his immense impact on modern cinema. So, as Kill Bill: Volume 1 celebrates its twentieth birthday (on October 10) we look back at the hits and not-so-hits and maybe even misses of his filmmaking career.
10. Death Proof (2007)
There’s an argument to be made that Death Proof is most fascinating film in Tarantino’s 30 year career. A downright dirty grindhouse film, it’s split into two parts; one where serial killer Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) kills four women with his muscle car, the other where three women overcome him and beat him to death as the credits roll.
Although the acting is outstanding there’s a lot to the movie that hasn’t aged well, or to put it better, was pretty fucking grim even back in 2007. Lauded as Tarantino’s most feminist film by some, with “The Girls” killing Russell’s villain with their own muscle car, easily interpreted as a quite phallic symbol, there’s also the deep discomfort of how they leave their friend Lee (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) to essentially be sexually assaulted by a country yokel while they go on a joyride. There are some excellent car scenes without a doubt, but there’s something about Death Proof that leaves you feeling dirty when the credits roll.
9. Django Unchained (2012)
Django Unchained is one of those films where there’s no right answer about where to stand with it, and in this case, where to rank it. On the one hand, it’s audacious brand of entertainment keeps you both enthralled and amused for stretches, the performances of the ensemble are pretty great, and there’s a satisfying ending.
On the other hand, the N-word is used a lot, like, really a lot. 110 times, a lot. Now sure, the film being set in the time of slavery, there’s bound to be a lot of racism on screen, that’s obvious. But the same filmmaker made Inglorious Basterds and didn’t include anywhere close to the same amount of antisemitism in that film as he does racism directed towards the Black characters in this. The use of the N-word is something that has followed Tarantino for a lot of his career, and this is the film where it just feels a bit much, like a kid who’s been given felt tips dashing into a freshly painted room to make a mess, just because he can.
8. Jackie Brown (1997)
Perhaps something of a controversial take, but Jackie Brown just falls a little flat in comparison to other projects in Tarantino’s filmography. Showcasing some great performances from Pam Grier as the titular Jackie Brown and the supremely underrated Robert Forster as bail bondsman Max Cherry, while also paying homage to the Blaxploitation films of the 70s (from which Grier first made her name), the potential is there for a cracker, but it all just feels like a bit of a slog.
As a refresher, the film follows Brown after being caught smuggling money weighing whether to flip on her benefactor Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson) or to face jail time. The plot feels like quintessential Tarantino with plenty of twists, turns and stylistic flair, but the film’s pedestrian pace holds it back a little.
7. Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004)
When viewed in totality, the Kill Bill films stand out as modern cinema’s greatest revenge saga, and while Tarantino himself only refers to Kill Bill as a single film, for the sake of the ranking we must divide it. Volume 2 is a bloody follow-up to the first instalment, bringing in more characters for The Bride to exact revenge from.
While this adds a layer of gravitas to the sequel, it does detract somewhat from how streamlined the first volume felt. None of that takes away from what a riot Volume 2 is however, which lovingly celebrates the martial arts genre in a way few other filmmakers could manage.
6. The Hateful Eight (2015)
Ask anyone to name their favourite Tarantino flick, maybe only one in a hundred will say The Hateful Eight. It’s Tarantino at his most underrated. The hefty near-three hour runtime could’ve easily led to a slog of a film, but instead the narrative and the colourful cast of characters elevate it into something special.
Almost a stage play in its setting, with eight strangers taking refuge from a blizzard, The Hateful Eight is both classically brash and bloody as Tarantino is wont to be, but also surprisingly intimate. Its compelling take on race relations in America might not be for some, but it’s a more interesting perspective than what’s presented in Django Unchained, even if the liberal use of the N-word still feels jarring and unpleasant.
5. Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
Kill Bill: Volume 1 sees Tarantino pay tribute to countless styles of cinema, as well as classic films like Lady Snowblood and The Bride Wore Black – both films in which a woman kills off gang members who murdered her family.
Here, we follow The Bride (Uma Thurman) as she embarks on her own revenge quest again Bill and the rest of his Deadly Vipers gang. Volume 1 only takes her as far as Tokyo, where the film delivers Tarantino’s greatest ever action sequence, showcasing the filmmaker’s sheer passion for not only his own craft, but the craft laid down by those before him. The film’s only real fault is that it is in essence, just half of a single movie.
4. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
You have to admire the chutzpah of Tarantino opening his debut feature by putting himself on-screen with some of Hollywood’s finest performers, and positioning himself front and centre to deliver an insane monologue about true meaning behind Madonna’s “Like a Virgin”.
Reservoir Dogs might be the most prominent film when it comes to both Tarantino’s relationship with violence, but also our own relationship with the deplorable acts we see throughout the film (and countless others). Michael Madsen as the sadistic Mr Blonde is the most emblematic depiction of this; the character commits one of cinema’s most horrific acts of violence, but his own personal joie de vivre makes the scene something different. It isn’t without its flaws, but it’s wholly committed to what it wants to be – an operatic ode to violence that resonated with so many. An incredible debut.
3. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
While Tarantino says he has just one more film up his sleeve, the cynic in me thinks Once Upon a Time in Hollywood should be the closing chapter of his directorial career. The director’s take on Old Hollywood features one of his most fully realised worlds – a fictionalised view of the film industry at a time of change, with the Manson Family lurking in the background. The film is loving in its nostalgia, creating an alternative existence from the real-world tragedy of Sharon Tate’s murder, an existence where the good guys won, and the bad guys were incinerated by a fading movie star’s flamethrower.
Anchored by dazzling performances from Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is darkly comedic, sufficiently violent without feeling like too much, fodder for five years’ worth of memes, all the while exuding that distinct brashness we’ve come to love (or hate) about Tarantino’s work.
2. Inglorious Basterds (2009)
There’s so much to love about Inglorious Basterds, Tarantino’s heavily fictionalised WWII thriller. Whether it’s the opening set piece between Christoph Waltz’s Colonel Hans Landa and Monsieur LaPadite, Brad Pitt chewing on the scenery with every line delivery like he’s eating a five-course meal, the heat-check performances of Michael Fassbender and Diane Kruger in the ill-fated scene in the cellar, or frankly, just the sheer absurdity of the film as a whole.
The historical liberties of the film might rankle some, as might the violence on display (somewhat of a recurring theme) – but it’s hard to not view Inglorious Basterds as anything other than one of Tarantino’s best films.
1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Honestly, it’s just too easy. Pulp Fiction was Tarantino’s second feature film, and to this day it remains his masterpiece. From the first frame to the last, the film bleeds a delirious blend of multiple genres, delivering a neo-noir-esque black comedy crime caper for the ages.
The intoxicatingly complex and simultaneously straightforward narrative structure showcases a filmmaker with a mastery of the craft, while the iconic performances of the ensemble cast feel as relevant today as they were in 1994. A towering achievement in cinema, and easily the number one film on this list.