As we wrap up Quentin Tarantino Month, ScreenAge Wasteland is proud to present our community’s ranking of the filmmaker’s 10 directorial features.
Eleven people took part in sending us their personal rankings of Tarantino’s 10 movies. We then assigned them points (top spot got 10, last spot got 1) and tallied the scores. If someone hadn’t seen a movie, a multiplier was added to bump that film’s score up to what it would have been if all eleven people had seen it.
If you want to see where each Tarantino movie landed on our list, keep on reading. And feel free to agree or disagree with where a film ranked in the comments below!
10. Death Proof (2007) | 34 points
- I didn’t get it on my first watch, but every watch since, I have had such a good time with Death Proof. It’s a bit loose, but its build-up of dread and balls-to-the-wall climax make it a worthwhile experience. (Tyler Harner)
- While I always appreciate a filmmaker trying something different, this one and its genre just isn’t my jam. Kurt Russell was great, though. (Alex G.)
- The girls beating the shit out of Stuntman Mike may be one of the most hysterical scenes Tarantino has ever done. (Vincent Kane)
- Hands down the worst Tarantino movie (although if I’m honest, I’d probably watch it again before the Kill Bill movies). It drags for almost its whole runtime, with Kurt Russell’s charisma working overtime to make the movie somewhat enjoyable. The final 15 minutes are all you need to watch. Skip the rest. (Marmaduke Karlston)
9. Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004) | 42 points
- I think this is a better movie than Vol. 1, but it’s not nearly as fun. (Jetpack Jesus)
- This movie made me fear both being buried alive and salt shotguns to the same degree. A wild conclusion to some seriously well-crafted action spectacle. (Tyler Harner)
- Such a letdown from Volume 1. Just doesn’t have the same style and gets too bogged down in the backstory. (Alex G.)
- Not as much high octane fun as Vol 1. I get what he was going for with this portion of the Bride’s revenge tale, but I frankly like her better when she’s just kicking ass. (Raf Stitt)
8. The Hateful Eight (2015) | 47 points
- A pot-boiler that gets bloodier than most. Not only is Hateful Eight a welcome reunion for Tarantino and Kurt Russell, but the addition of some great performers into Tarantino’s world and into this contained Western thriller. (Tyler Harner)
- The premise is right in the wheelhouse of what I like, but the execution just didn’t work. Too long. No memorable characters to me. (Alex G.)
- This might have been my favorite QT movie up until the last hour or so. As soon as Channing Tatum shows his face, it’s all downhill from there. (Marmaduke Karlston)
- Tarantino’s propensity for overly indulgent bloated story telling became apparent in first movie without longtime editor Sally Menke. It’s still a mostly fun movie, but could’ve used someone reigning Quentin in. (Raf Stitt)
7. Jackie Brown (1997) | 59 points
- I don’t get why this movie is so underrated. (Jetpack Jesus)
- Maybe Tarantino’s most subtle work, but its style is unmistakable. Swagger drips off the screen from these outfits, Tarantino’s feisty dialogue, and the sheer coolness of a lot of these characters. An all-around great time. (Tyler Harner)
- I just don’t get the hype on this film. By far my least favorite, the only QT movie I was bored watching. (Alex G.)
- Jackie Brown is the only QT movie I just can’t get behind. Revisit every so often, but something with it just doesn’t click with me. (Vincent Kane)
6. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) | 68 points
- I just really dig this movie. The Spahn Ranch scene may be QT’s best directing work. (Jetpack Jesus)
- It’s my least favorite for Tarantino, but it has its redemptions. A slick style and some great, layered scenes with DiCaprio are what I remember most. Unfortunately, I also remember how useless Margot Robbie’s character is and how much screen time is given to Brad Pitt just driving. (Tyler Harner)
- This movie, for me, is the inverse of the idea “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” The overall movie is solid, but it’s a few individual scenes that make it one of my favorites: Rick’s acting lesson and breakdown, Cliff at the ranch, and, of course, the ending. (Alex G.)
- In one scene, Julia Butters outacted Leonardo DiCaprio. Let that sink in. Also, the number of future stars that Tarantino had play hippies in this is actually insane. The man knows how to spot talent. (Marmaduke Karlston)
5. Django Unchained (2012) | 69 points
- Sam Jackson’s character is so good in this. Such an insidious villain. (Jetpack Jesus)
- Retribution has never looked and sounded so good. A blood-soaked battle for freedom, Django Unchained is angry as hell and all the more entertaining for it. (Tyler Harner)
- I loved this movie when it came out, and it’s definitely overdue for a rewatch. Great characters, great scenes, especially the dinner scene. The only thing that holds it back for me is that it drags a bit at the end. Cut out 15 minutes on the backend, and this might be #1. (Alex G.)
- Getting the vile and cartoonish villain version of Leo makes Django Unchained worthwhile alone. (Vincent Kane)
4. Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) | 71 points
- Probably my favorite, even though I think there are “better” QT movies. (Jetpack Jesus)
- The fight of the Crazy 88. What else do you need to say? (Tyler Harner)
- The fight scenes are incredible, and it just flows so well. Admittedly, it benefits from all the backstory being pushed to Vol. 2 from a flow and runtime perspective. The only tough part is it’s Vol. 1 and therefore doesn’t feel complete, but I wish it did because Vol. 2 just doesn’t live up to the standard Vol. 1 sets. (Alex G.)
- My hatred for this movie once knew no bounds. I swear this used to be playing on Teletoon every single weekend instead of stuff I actually wanted to watch as a kid. I have no clue how they edited this for a children’s channel, but bravo to whoever did. As an adult, I enjoy it, but it’s nowhere close to being my favorite Tarantino. (Marmaduke Karlston)
3. Reservoir Dogs (1992) | 75 points
- Possibly the greatest indie breakout of all indie breakouts, Reservoir Dogs takes such simple execution and makes something truly grand out of it. Along with some of the strongest character work of this fine cast’s careers, Tarantino came out of the gate swinging for the fences here and hit a clear home run. (Tyler Harner)
- Solid film debut. You can see all the ingredients there for what his better films will improve on. (Alex G.)
- I don’t know why I waited so long to see Tarantino’s debut because it’s my new favorite film from him. I found it a bit rough at the start, but this might be the only movie ever to just increasingly get better the longer into it you are. The friendship between Mr. White and Mr. Orange is my favorite part of Reservoir Dogs. (Marmaduke Karlston)
- Although it’s not his best movie, Reservoir Dogs is clearly the most ~special~ QT film. It awoke a beast and ushered in a new age of indie filmmaking. (Raf Stitt)
2. Inglourious Basterds (2009) | 88 points
- What could’ve been generic in another director’s hands became lightning in a bottle in Tarantino’s. While it may be one of the more populist favorites, the direction in character, blocking, shot composition, and egregious violence balance elegantly to make this bombastic historical fiction sing. (Tyler Harner)
- The first time I saw it, the bar scene stuck with me, and rewatching it just confirms it’s one of the best QT scenes in any movie. (Alex G.)
- Inglourious Basterds is Tarantino’s masterpiece to me. Outside of Eli Roth, it’s perfect. (Vincent Kane)
- It’s undoubtedly his most complete film. It’s the most rewatchable. Too many great characters and scenes to name. Yeah, it’s his best film. (Raf Stitt)
1. Pulp Fiction (1994) | 96 points
- This is the quintessential QT movie for me. (Jetpack Jesus)
- A spectacle of coincidence and violence. One of the pinnacles of ’90s movies, with so much to love and tiny details to discover over thirty years later. A movie to define its era, Tarantino, and the sub-genre no one’s been able to top. (Tyler Harner)
- The movie is just so iconic and so unlike anything else in its time in so many ways. So much great dialogue. It was the first QT I ever saw and still holds up as a great movie. It’s a close call at the top, and it can change by the day for me, but today I say it’s my favorite. (Alex G.)
- Pulp Fiction changed the game, and people have tried and failed to capture its magic for 30 years. (Vincent Kane)
Whether it was people putting Jackie Brown or Once Upon a Time in Hollywood last on their rankings or Death Proof anywhere but that tenth spot, leave it to Tarantino to make this the craziest (and perhaps most controversial) community ranking yet!
Of course, at the end of the day, I think we all knew the No. 1 spot was Pulp Fiction‘s to lose, and lose they did not. I’m sure Jules would look at this ranking and give it his stamp of approval by uttering, “This is a tasty burger ranking!”
Thank you to everyone who participated in SAW’s eighteenth community ranking! Do you agree with the community ranking? How does your ranking of Tarantino’s movies look compared to ours? Share your thoughts in the comments!