Every Quentin Tarantino Movie, Ranked
10. Death Proof (2007)
Quentin Tarantino’s homage to 1970s exploitation cinema, which was released as half of the ‘Grindhouse’ double bill, is quite uneven. ‘Death Proof’ sees Kurt Russell play Stuntman Mike, a charming psycho who uses his reinforced muscle car to slaughter women. It’s a slasher flick as expected, but it’s wrapped in a car-chase flick, which in turn is wrapped in a monologue-heavy hangout film. The second half, though, is dynamite—Zoe Bell does her own stunts on the hood of a speeding Dodge Charger. Yeah, it’s worth the price of admission alone. Still, this one sputters more than it roars.
9. Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004)
While ‘Kill Bill: Volume 1’ was all razors and revenge, its sequel slows things down to meditate on parenthood, forgiveness, and mythology. Of course, it has lengthy monologues (David Carradine’s Superman speech still reverberates) and there’s an unexpectedly tender conclusion, but for many fans, the sudden tonal shift and talky pace made ‘Kill Bill: Volume 2’ feel like the lesser sibling. It’s not a bad film in any way, it’s just that its predecessor decapitated 88 henchmen and walked away in a blood-soaked jumpsuit, making cinematic history.
8. The Hateful Eight (2015)
Snowbound and savage, ‘The Hateful Eight’ is a locked-room mystery masquerading as a Western. This is a post-Civil War rogues' gallery…you know, with bounty hunters, rebels, killers trapped in a haberdashery during a blizzard. Naturally, suspicion simmers until violence boils over. It's long, talky, and plays like a chamber piece, but when the bullets start flying, Tarantino's dark heart beats loud and clear.
7. Jackie Brown (1997)
This one’s the oddball in Quentin Tarantino’s filmography—his only adaptation, a laid-back Elmore Leonard heist flick with an uncompromising soul. ‘Jackie Brown’ swaps adrenaline for nuance and rewards patient viewers with a mature, slow-burn thriller. Pam Grier is effortlessly cool, and Robert Forster’s lovestruck bail bondsman is the emotional anchor of the piece. It’s got less blood, but more heart, just like a smooth criminal that ages like fine bourbon.
6. Django Unchained (2012)
The spaghetti Western gets dipped in Southern Gothic horror in ‘Django Unchained,’ an audacious revenge tale set against the horrors of slavery. Jamie Foxx is an avenging angel with a six-shooter, Christoph Waltz is the best-dressed bounty hunter alive, and Leonardo DiCaprio steals every scene as a sadistic plantation owner. It’s brutal, uncomfortable, occasionally hilarious, but most importantly, it’s unmistakably Tarantino. Say what you will about the movie’s historical license, but it redefined what a Western could say and who got to be the hero.
5. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Before the world knew what a “Tarantino film” even was, ‘Reservoir Dogs’ kicked blew open the door. A stylish, stripped-down heist movie where we never even get to see the heist. It’s pure tension, propelled by cutting dialogue and explosive performances. Michael Madsen’s ear-slicing scene still haunts viewers decades later. This was the genius filmmaker announcing himself—loud, brash, and already cooler than most of what Hollywood could dream of being.
4. Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019)
Part elegy for a lost era, and part revisionist fairy tale, ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’ is Quentin Tarantino at his most nostalgic. Leonardo DiCaprio’s neurotic actor and Brad Pitt’s Zen-like stuntman are one of the best duos on screen, and their buddy chemistry anchors the film’s freewheeling structure. Margot Robbie’s radiant Sharon Tate floats like a ghost, while the final act explodes into the kind of pulpy violence Tarantino does best. It’s a film about movies, memory, and what might’ve been, and it sticks the landing hard.
3. Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
A full-throttle genre mashup that’s a revenge flick, a kung fu epic, and an unabashed anime fever dream. Quentin Tarantino throws everything at the screen: Bruce Lee homages, Sonny Chiba swordsmanship, a blood geyser per second, and a fight scene so legendary (no can get forget The Bride vs. the Crazy 88) it’s been mimicked ever since. Uma Thurman’s Bride is iconi— equal parts myth, mother, and martial arts monster. Few films are this gloriously over-the-top and meticulously crafted.
2. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
What if a revenge fantasy about killing Nazis was also one of the most dialogue-driven, stylish, and thrilling war movies ever made? ’Inglourious Basterds’ is that and so much more. It’s pure pulp poetry, with standout chapters, especially the tense farmhouse interrogation and the tavern standoff that could function as short films on their own. Christoph Waltz’s Colonel Hans Landa is a masterclass in villainy, and Mélanie Laurent’s burning-the-past finale cements this as Tarantino’s most cathartic climax. World War II never looked this twisted, or dare we say, this fun.
1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
‘Pulp Fiction’ didn’t just break the rules, it rewrote them. This isn’t just Quentin Tarantino’s best film, it’s one of the defining films of the 1990s. No arguments there! The nonlinear structure, the endlessly quotable dialogue, the unforgettable characters (Vincent, Jules, Mia, Butch) made this a pop culture supernova. Every scene hums with a wild energy that’s equal parts cool and chaos. Indeed, ‘Pulp Fiction’ influenced a generation of filmmakers. Even now, no one else makes movies quite like this.
