I hope you enjoy the list!
10. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
The reasons for the Kill Bill movies not being higher on this list are very subjective; they simply didn't make me feel as invested and passionate about their story than other Tarantino films, making them slightly less interesting to watch. But on a cinematic level, I hugely respect the work that went into the series and the sheer creativity and unique style that Tarantino poured into it. Kill Bill: Vol 1 follows The Bride (brilliantly portrayed by a badass Uma Thurman) on her quest for vengeance, culminating in a violent and extremely well-choreographed action sequence where she takes on an elite assassination squad. A highlight of the film is the backstory sequence for the villain O'ren Ishii (Lucy Liu), brought to life in anime style which makes for an entertaining, out-of-the-box change of pace.
9. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 is a successful sequel, fulfilling the plot of the first installment and taking the story to a satisfying ending. The reason for this second part being barely ahead of the first movie lies within my passion for good endings: Vol. 2 is just as well-made and interesting as the first one, with the addition that it makes for a thoroughly decent climax to the two-film story. Highlights of the film include the intense wedding day opening sequence, the chapter where The Bride trains with the eccentric Pai Mei (Gordon Liu), and especially the bone-chilling final confrontation between The Bride and titular antagonist Bill (David Carradine). While parts of the Kill Bill saga were a bit boring for me compared to Tarantino's other works (please don't burn me, fellow film enthusiasts), they are still very well-made action cinema that I hold in high regard.
8. Death Proof (2007)
This first half of the Tarantino-Rodriguez double feature Grindhouse is one of those impressive films that manage to work both as a parody and as a film on its own (much like Wes Craven's Scream for the horror genre). Clearly made as an over-the-top homage to the b-list "sexploitation" action flicks of the 60's and 70's, the film has a lot of fun with the tropes of that genre. Still, Death Proof also rises above that to be an awesome action movie in its own right, thanks to brilliant dialogue, sharp casting, unique storytelling devices and one hell of an action sequence. Seriously, the intense scene of Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) chasing a car with Zoe Bell (played by the real-life Zoe Bell) hanging on the hood is possibly my favorite action sequence from any Tarantino film. Also, the ending of the movie is delightfully satisfying and humorous. A lot of people dismiss this as the weakest Tarantino film, but I found that the lack of seriousness didn't make it any worse when viewed as a ridiculous and entertaining piece of action nostalgia.
7. Django Unchained (2012)
Tarantino's one-of-a-kind style of making movies and the aesthetic of the western genre made for an unlikely match made in heaven. Far from being a typical western, Django Unchained features many of the genre's tropes and intricacies while putting a very Tarantino twist on them, making for a strange and awesome film. It isn't higher than this on my list mainly because it isn't as much of a start-to-finish entertainment extravaganza as many of Tarantino's films; at times the 165-minute runtime felt a bit long. That being said, around 83 per cent of Django was absolutely wonderful to watch, with its anachronistic soundtrack and violent yet heroic revenge story making for a memorable piece of cinema. The cast is beyond amazing: a charismatic lead performance from Jamie Foxx, an untypical villain performance by Leonardo DiCaprio, a solid role by Tarantino's go-to actor Samuel L. Jackson and an Oscar-winning performance by Christoph Waltz make for a dynamite combination.
6. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
For most directors, the first feature film is a somewhat flawed freshman effort, where they're still trying to find their own style. But with this particular director, the debut film is the most Tarantino-esque film imaginable, proving that he had a clear vision and confidence for his filmmaking style from the get-go. Filled to the brim with pop culture references, cool and entertaining dialogue, chill humor mixed with crime and tension, and non-linear storytelling, Reservoir Dogs is the perfect typical Tarantino film. The plot follows a group of gangsters after a diamond heist gone wrong, and the cast playing them is appropriately absolute diamond quality: Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi and Tarantino himself all play eccentric characters who have brilliant chemistry with each other. Also, the film's final showdown is absolutely perfect.
5. Inglorious Basterds (2010)
Tarantino's films always have a peculiar humorous aspect to them; while they are never comedies, they never take themselves too seriously and thus feel amusing in a self-aware and entertainment-driven way. Critics were skeptical about how this would play with a film set in World War II Europe, a dead-serious setting that usually makes for heart-stopping and depressing movies. Yet somehow it all worked out, making for yet another instance of Tarantino making a unique addition to a whole genre by adding his own trademark style.
The beauty of Inglorious Basterds is that it manages to be so entertaining and fun without belittling the horrors of the second world war, never making jokes in poor taste. The evil of the Nazi regime is on full display, followed through the violent yet charismatic group of Inglorious Basterds, sent to assassinate Nazi leaders and lead by Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt). The show is stolen by the gripping subplot about Shosanna (Mélanie Laurent) looking for revenge, and even more so by Christoph Waltz's terrifying, once-again Oscar-winning performance as villain Hans Landa. The film's beginning is incredibly strong, with an extremely tense scene that has since become an iconic moment in modern cinema. Even stronger is the ending where, without spoiling any details, Tarantino goes for a truly revolutionary and out-of-the-box story direction.
The beauty of Inglorious Basterds is that it manages to be so entertaining and fun without belittling the horrors of the second world war, never making jokes in poor taste. The evil of the Nazi regime is on full display, followed through the violent yet charismatic group of Inglorious Basterds, sent to assassinate Nazi leaders and lead by Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt). The show is stolen by the gripping subplot about Shosanna (Mélanie Laurent) looking for revenge, and even more so by Christoph Waltz's terrifying, once-again Oscar-winning performance as villain Hans Landa. The film's beginning is incredibly strong, with an extremely tense scene that has since become an iconic moment in modern cinema. Even stronger is the ending where, without spoiling any details, Tarantino goes for a truly revolutionary and out-of-the-box story direction.
4. Jackie Brown (1997)
On a Tarantino scale, it doesn't get more underrated than Jackie Brown. The balancing of dark and realistic crime themes with entertaining dialogue and a laid-back atmosphere is better than ever in this often-forgotten flick. Pam Grier is strong and likable in the lead role as Jackie Brown, a flight attendant who gets sucked into a rabbit hole of crime and risky decisions regarding a large sum of money. Samuel L. Jackson, Robert De Niro and Robert Forster are fantastic in their supporting roles, and the dialogue is even more magnificently entertaining than in most Tarantino films.
While not featuring any actual heists, Jackie Brown profits from a heist-thriller atmosphere, with the build-up to the climactic money exchange featuring incredibly built tension, double-crosses and clever last-minute twists as it all goes down. Ultimately, this is also Tarantino's sweetest film, with a budding romance between two characters being built in the background. This creates a humane sense of caring for the characters that isn't always present in Tarantino's world of crime and violence.
While not featuring any actual heists, Jackie Brown profits from a heist-thriller atmosphere, with the build-up to the climactic money exchange featuring incredibly built tension, double-crosses and clever last-minute twists as it all goes down. Ultimately, this is also Tarantino's sweetest film, with a budding romance between two characters being built in the background. This creates a humane sense of caring for the characters that isn't always present in Tarantino's world of crime and violence.
3. The Hateful Eight (2015)
Most Tarantino rankings I've seen have this western near the very bottom of the pack, which I do understand - this film is not for everyone, and even the people who liked it might often prefer Tarantino's older classics. For me however, The Hateful Eight is an absolute top tier movie for Mr. Tarantino, beating most of his beloved older films by a narrow margin.
With this film, it's all about the premise: A cast of eight extremely talented actors. Locked in a cabin. For three damn hours. And while that premise might sound like it has the makings for a boring end product, The Hateful Eight is not boring for one second; after all, the man in the director's chair is Hollywood's ultimate king of dialogue. The chemistry, interactions and various conflicts between the characters are so incredibly entertaining to follow, and the surprising final act ties it all together in a satisfying fashion. With just the right amounts of historical context, graphic violence, amusing humor and whodunit -mystery, The Hateful Eight makes for a marvelous film that no other director could quite pull off.
With this film, it's all about the premise: A cast of eight extremely talented actors. Locked in a cabin. For three damn hours. And while that premise might sound like it has the makings for a boring end product, The Hateful Eight is not boring for one second; after all, the man in the director's chair is Hollywood's ultimate king of dialogue. The chemistry, interactions and various conflicts between the characters are so incredibly entertaining to follow, and the surprising final act ties it all together in a satisfying fashion. With just the right amounts of historical context, graphic violence, amusing humor and whodunit -mystery, The Hateful Eight makes for a marvelous film that no other director could quite pull off.
2. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)
To most readers, the most interesting aspect of this list was probably to see where the newest Tarantino film fits in on my list - it is a topical movie, with the Oscars just a few days away and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood up for 10 nominations. And boy, are those nominations deserved. This is indeed my second favorite Tarantino film of all time, proving that not only has the director kept his level, but has been constantly improving upon his work and reinventing it in new, creative ways. I have already explained why the film is one of the best 2019 films in an older post, so now I will focus on it in the scope of this list: why Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is one of the best Tarantino movies.
With a long story and many aspects to it, this film features the best elements of Tarantino's own brand of cinema. It's just as fun and entertaining as Reservoir Dogs, as incredibly acted as Django Unchained, as laid-back and likable as Jackie Brown, as carefully crafted as Inglorious Basterds and as impressively entertaining despite its long runtime as The Hateful Eight. All of the director's talent and vision is poured into this nugget of cinematic gold, which could be considered Tarantino's ultimate career-defining film, if it weren't for one even more deserving option.
And that brings us to number one...
With a long story and many aspects to it, this film features the best elements of Tarantino's own brand of cinema. It's just as fun and entertaining as Reservoir Dogs, as incredibly acted as Django Unchained, as laid-back and likable as Jackie Brown, as carefully crafted as Inglorious Basterds and as impressively entertaining despite its long runtime as The Hateful Eight. All of the director's talent and vision is poured into this nugget of cinematic gold, which could be considered Tarantino's ultimate career-defining film, if it weren't for one even more deserving option.
And that brings us to number one...
1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
A man could spend a lifetime travelling the world in search of a Tarantino fan whose favorite film from the director is anything but Pulp Fiction. Every single ranking of his films that I have seen - and I've seen many - has this masterpiece at the first place. And that is for a very good reason: it doesn't get any better than this.
Everything I could possibly say about Pulp Fiction's greatness has been said before, but I'll say it again, because it deserves to be said. This is a strange and unconventional crime film, with multiple interconnected stories being told in a non-linear fashion, with seemingly no real point or message but to follow a day in the life of some very interesting characters. It manages to be, despite occurrences of graphic violence and horrible people, extremely fun and entertaining to watch. It's aware of being 'just a movie' to a degree of not taking itself too seriously, while not needing to be meta about it.
Pulp Fiction has possibly the best on-screen chemistry of all time between Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta's characters Jules and Vincent. It definitely has the best dialogue of any film I have ever seen, with every line being just perfect for the film's atmosphere and iconic quotes being thrown around in pretty much every scene. While I do believe that Tarantino outdid himself on a whole new level with Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, I still have to say that Pulp Fiction is the best film in the director's repertoire, and one of the greatest movies ever made.
Tune in this Sunday for a special on my Oscar predictions! My next actual Top 10 -list is coming next Thursday as usual, and will have to do with the Oscars as well...
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