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Tarantino is one of the most highly regarded filmmakers of our time. It is not hard to spot a Tarantino film because he is a true auteur with an instantly recognizable style. Whether it is his notorious non-linear storytelling, his artful use of violence, the sharp dialogue, or his theme of revenge. He is a true cinephile who will likely direct a few more in the coming years, but for now, let us rank the 10 he has directed.
10. Death Proof
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Death Proof is not technically considered to be one of Tarantino’s ten main films, but it is a film he wrote and directed. Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez teamed up and made a double feature called Grindhouse. Rodriguez directed Planet Terror, and Tarantino directed Death Proof. Death Proof was a tribute to the grindhouse films from the 70s, essentially low-budget movies that typically had shocking content throughout the film. It has one of the most unexpected mid-points, similar to the film From Dusk Till Dawn, which Tarantino and Rodriguez penned and directed by Rodriguez. The storytelling is very much in the vein of Tarantino’s other work because it is nonlinear. It has some of the most memorable car chase scenes, not only because of the choreography but because most of the stunts were real and done by real actors themselves. The movie’s soundtracks fit in perfectly, giving the film an authentic 60s and 70s vibe.
9. Jackie Brown
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The Blaxploitation genre inspired Tarantino when making Jackie Brown. In fact, Pam Grier, the protagonist, is a legendary Blaxploitation actress. Aside from Pam Grier’s performance, who stole the show, there are some other engaging performances from Robert Forster, Robert DeNiro, and Bridget Fonda. Jackie Brown was adapted from the novel Rum Punch. Mostly known for his original screenplays, Jackie Brown was adapted from the novel Rum Punch. The only other time Tarantino adapted a script was when he wrote and directed part of the anthology movie Four Rooms. Jackie Brown is more of a slow burn than some of Tarantino’s other work. It was not a huge box office hit but became a cult film over time.
8. The Hateful Eight
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The Hateful Eight is a film that almost did not happen, as the script was leaked prematurely. Tarantino eventually caved, and it became his 8th film. It was shot in a 65mm negative and transferred to a 70mm print for projection, and the film won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography. Returning to his roots, Tarantino shot most of the movie in one location as he did with Reservoir Dogs. The cast is star-studded, and some of Tarantino’s usual suspects appear in the film, including Samuel L. Jackson, Tim Roth, Kurt Russell, and Jennifer Jason Leigh, who won an Oscar for her role. Ennio Morricone, known for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly iconic soundtrack, did the score for this film and also won an Oscar. It is a great watch full of suspense and captivating dialogue.
7. Kill Bill: Volume 2
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It is nearly impossible to have a great sequel, but Tarantino has created one of the best sequels in cinema history. This one still has phenomenal choreographed fight scenes but is more story-driven. The training sequences are super entertaining and give us a better back story to our heroine. The ending is satisfying and well-deserved. Once again, Uma Thurman embodies the role and has a great supporting cast, including Davide Carradine, a martial artist film actor in his own right, Michael Madsen, and Daryl Hannah. There has been a debate about whether or not Tarantino will make a third installment, but recently, he shot down the idea, but you never know.
6. Reservoir Dogs
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Coming out of the gate strong, Reservoir Dogs was Tarantino’s first writing and directorial debut. The majority of the film takes place in one location, and it is the unique dialogue and incredible performances by Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, and Steve Buscemi make this movie thrilling, suspenseful, humorous, and, at times, horrific. What also makes the film interesting is the non-linear storytelling, which would become a common thread throughout Tarantino’s filmography, like Pulp Fiction. Tarantino’s inspiration for Reservoir Dogs partially comes from the stage version of Glengarry Glen Ross and the film City on Fire. Tarantino is known for his clever and often gruesome use of violence in his films. This film could be seen as a blueprint for some of his later work.
5. Django Unchained
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Once again, Tarantino’s love of spaghetti westerns and Blackpoltaion films gives Django Unchained its framework. Originally, Will Smith was supposed to play the titular character of Django Freeman, but he turned it down. Jamie Foxx stepped in and absolutely nailed the part. The performances are amazing across the board, from Leonard DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, and Christoph Walt, who won their second Oscar for a Tarantino film, the previous being Inglourious Basterds. Tarantino has perfected the revenge narrative and continues to use violence compellingly and shockingly. It is also a great social commentary, shedding light on the horrors of slavery, racism, and injustices. This movie does not focus only on tragedy, but it also manages to be irreverent and joyful. It is a story about redemption, empowerment, and freedom—an anti-white savor movie.
4. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
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Once Upon a Time in Hollywood has Tarantino’s DNA all over it, and Tarantino himself says it is his best film. It encapsulates everything we love in Tarantino’s films. It is a love letter to Hollywood and filmmaking, the fictional retelling of historical events, the main one being the Manson family, making the audience hungry with the Mac & Cheese scene, the shots of feet, the excessive violence, and the ever-present theme of revenge. If you can believe it, this was the first time Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt starred together in a movie, making it a highly anticipated film. Sergio Leone’s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is Tarantino’s favorite film, and Once Upon a Time in The West, another Leone picture inspired him to become a filmmaker. There are twists and turns, and it could have been a great ending to his career, but Tarantino plans to make his tenth and final film before retiring from filmmaking. Maybe he will continue to write novels. We got a taste of Tarantino as an author when he wrote a novelization, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, specifically in paperback.
3. Inglourious Basterds
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Another Sergio Leone film, The Dirty Dozen, partially inspired Inglourious Basterds. Perhaps one of the greatest openings of all time, it is extremely tense and led to Christoph Waltz winning a well-deserved Oscar for the menacing role. There were many fantastic performances, including those by Brad Pitt, Mélanie Laurent, and Eli Roth, who are good friends. Roth looks up to Tarantino as a mentor, and Tarantino even produced Hostel. Tarantino is the master at alternate history concepts. One might say this is Tarantino’s best revenge film because he takes revenge on Hitler. Once again, the dialogue is masterfully done, and he cleverly weaves nonlinear storylines together, culminating in a surprising yet satisfying ending.
2. Kill Bill: Volume 1
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Kill Bill: Volume 1 was heavily influenced by Kung Fu movies, particularly the works of Bruce Lee and the Saw Brothers, which comes as no surprise as to why Bruce Lee shows up in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Tarantino is known for his revenge films, but this might be the revenge film that ends all revenge films. Uma Thurman is electric as The Bride, and Lucy Liu is superb as a villain. If anyone thought Tarantino’s films were violent, Tarantino metaphorically told them to hold his beer. This ultra-violent movie is not just violence in abundance, which it is, but it is done artistically, almost like a performance piece. It is a wild ride with a mixture of samurai cinema, spaghetti Westerns, exploitation film, and anime influences.
1. Pulp Fiction
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Pulp Fiction is a truly original concept, arguably his magnum opus. Tarantino may not have won Best Picture at the Academy Awards, but the film did win the Palme d’Or. The performances are incredible. It completely revived John Travolta’s career. If you can believe it, Tarantino turned down Daniel Day-Lewis, who wanted to play Vincent Vega. Perhaps a method actor playing a hitman might be problematic. In this ensemble, non-linear film, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, and Bruce Willis all elevated the film with their performances. Tarantino wrote such a well-crafted script that he made a conversation about cheeseburgers riveting. It is simply a masterpiece.
