Best Quentin Tarantino Movies Ranked for Filmmakers

All Quentin Tarantino Movies

10. The Hateful Eight (2015)

Let’s get this out of the way. There’s really no such thing as a “bad” Quentin Tarantino movie. There are just lower-tier and higher-tier films, and The Hateful Eight is at the bottom of the lofty barrel. It’s not a bad movie by any means. The dialogue is just as engaging as ever, and Tarantino still proves he’s a master of building suspense. 

However, filming The Hateful Eight seems more like overindulgence than anything else since most of the movie takes place inside a single cabin. It’s also painfully slow for the first half, robbing the film of the necessary story structure that should’ve been there to propel the third act. Other Quentin Tarantino films get better with each rewatch. But for the most part, you watch this one once and are done with it forever.

Quentin Tarantino Movies List

9. Death Proof (2007)

In 2007, Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez joined forces to create the B-movie homage double-feature Grindhouse. For the picture, Tarantino created Death Proof and probably checked off a major bucket list item by filming some of the most impressive car scenes put to film. 

However, considering you have to get through almost an hour of subpar dialogue (a rare miss for Quentin Tarantino dialogue), it doesn’t add up to anything. You’ll either find the whole exercise funny or tasteless. Perhaps a bit of both. Either way, you feel like you need a shower afterward.

Quentin Tarantino Movies Ranked 

8. Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004)

Tarantino may look at the Kill Bill movies as a single film, but for our purposes, we’re ranking them separately. One thing becomes clear watching the two films back-to-back: Tarantino gave Vol. 1 all of the best action scenes. That doesn’t mean Vol. 2 leaves you feeling cheated. 

The dialogue is top-notch here. Uma Thurman delivers one of her most layered performances as Tarantino gets far more introspective. It starts putting up mirrors between Beatrix and Elle, as well as creating a more rounded relationship between The Bride and Bill. At times, it almost seems as though Tarantino wants to deconstruct the revenge flick even if he still rests heavily on the tropes.

Top 10 Quentin Tarantino Movies

7. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)

Out of all Quentin Tarantino films, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is mostly devoid of tension, with a notable exception as illustrated in the video above. The film earned several nominations, including Golden Globe wins for DiCaprio and Brad Pitt.

The characters aren’t in a hurry to go anywhere. Instead, we’re left to watch the fading star of Rick Dalton and his stunt double as they try to hang on to any semblance of fame. 

It’s a hangout movie through and through. Large sections are devoted to watching Dalton film an entirely different movie from the one he’s in. We spend time with Sharon Tate watching herself in a movie. It’s a love letter to cinema and a celebration of the art of filmmaking. While there’s some menace lurking in the corner with the Manson family not too far away, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is content with its own pace.

List of Quentin Tarantino Movies, Ranked

6. Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)

The first Kill Bill is great, bloody entertainment, and it works brilliantly. Before John Wick changed the game for action fight scene choreography, Kill Bill was bleeding edge filmmaking with amazing set pieces and reminded us why Uma Thurman and her stuntwoman should be remembered for their contribution. Not to mention that the fight scene with Lucy Liu remains one of the most striking visuals.

The main thing missing from Vol. 1 is any kind of satisfying conclusion. That comes in the next film, but viewed separately, it just feels incomplete. It makes sense why Tarantino considers them one single film, but until we get The Whole Bloody Affair on Blu-Ray, we look at them as separate pieces.

A Comprehensive List of Tarantino Movies

5. Django Unchained (2012)

Django Unchained is one of Tarantino’s most sophisticated movies, grappling with themes related to racial power dynamics in American society. It handles these themes within the context of an old-school spaghetti western in which a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife, who is still enslaved by Calvin Candie.

It explores how different subsets of American society, from the elite to the lowly, benefit from the degradation of black bodies, and it feels like Tarantino has more to say than he usually does. 

It may lose steam in parts, but Django Unchained is a thrilling ride for the most part, and Jamie Foxx carries the film with charisma and intensity. With a long runtime, you start to feel like you’re within Django’s odyssey, like it will never end. But with an explosive finale, it’s one of the top Quentin Tarantino movies to chew on long after it’s over.

Great Quentin Tarantino Films

4. Jackie Brown

Jackie Brown is probably Tarantino’s most underrated film, which is a damn shame because it deserves so much more love. Tarantino revitalized Pam Grier’s career, a daring move back in 1997.

He adapted the novel Rum Punch into an engaging love story between the titular character and the bail bondsman who helps her get back at her gun-toting boss. 

While most Quentin Tarantino films focus on unsavory antiheroes, you genuinely root for Jackie Brown. It’s the least Tarantino-y movie, but his level of restraint ultimately works to the film’s advantage to tell a love story about two people in middle age who are experienced enough to know what they want. It’s a beautiful film, which isn’t something you can say about Tarantino’s filmography at large.

All Quentin Tarantino Movies in Order

3. Inglourious Basterds (2009)

This may just be Tarantino’s masterpiece. There’s something remarkable the director was able to accomplish with Inglourious Basterds. The opening scene with Hans Landa and the dairy farmer is one of the greatest sequences put to film. It’s a masterclass in tension, and it’s just the start of an outstanding filmmaking achievement, as Christoph Waltz won an Oscar for this iconic performance. 

The movie has a lot to say about war and power dynamics. However, it’s also a testament to the enduring legacy of cinema. At the end, Tarantino uses film to defeat the enemy in a brilliantly bloody and brash bit of revisionist history.

Examining Quentin Tarantino Films

2. Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Quentin Tarantino debuted on the cinematic scene in 1992 with one heck of a calling card. It may not be his best film, but it introduced the world to what would become a quintessential Tarantino flick. Slick dialogue. A proclivity for violence. Reflections on masculinity. Dope music choices. Characters who are on a path toward self-destruction.

Ingredients that would become cemented in Tarantino's directing style.

What Reservoir Dogs does so well is paint its characters in shades of grey. Tarantino keeps the gang at arm’s length, never giving in to full-blown admiration. It brought the world a different kind of pulp film, and the cinematic landscape has never been the same.

Best Quentin Tarantino Movies for Directors

1. Pulp Fiction (1994)

It probably shouldn’t come as any surprise, but the film that has occupied film students’ dorm rooms for 20 years now is the best film Quentin Tarantino has ever made. Sure, it’s a cool story with well-developed characters delivering amazingly-written dialogue (and one of the best movie soundtracks ever), but it goes so much further beyond that. 

Pulp Fiction became a pop culture landmark, shaping how people viewed indie cinema. The non-linear plot challenged how audiences engaged with the picture. The casting of John Travolta forced people to view the (at the time) washed-up actor in a different light. 

From the music to the violence, Tarantino is far more confident in a sophomore effort than most directors throughout their filmographies. It’s the kind of film that will be remembered for decades to come, constantly analyzed as people find new interpretations of it. Tarantino made about as perfect a film as you can get.

Up Next

Quentin Tarantino's Directing Style

Quentin Tarantino always has to be in the conversation when it comes to the best film directors of all time. From his mastery of dialogue to crafting pitch-perfect suspense with simple blocking and staging choices. Dive deeper into his unique directorial style as StudioBinder examines what he has brought to each of his films. 

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