Review: The Hateful Eight

Release: December 25th, 2015 (Wide)

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Genre: Western, Drama, Crime

Starring: Kurt Russell, Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, Demián Bichir

Quentin Tarantino is known for his ultra-violent and stylish action, vulgar but expertly-crafted dialogue, quirky characters, and stories focused on revenged. The Hateful Eight certainly has all of that, but unfortunately not much more.

While his previous films are all very satisfying and exciting, The Hateful Eight just felt like Tarantino doing Tarantino for the sake of Tarantino, and while it has some great scenes, overall it feels like an unsatisfying retread of his old films with a new setting and characters, but no driving force or interesting plot.

The film concerns a bounty hunter nicknamed "The Hangman" John Ruth, played by Kurt Russel, who is transporting a captured outlaw, Jennifer Jason Leigh's Daisy Domergue, to collect a large reward. Along the way he meets Major Warren, Samuel L. Jackson, as well as Chris Mannix, played by Walton Goggins. The first half of the film sets up their characters as they make their way to Red Rock, Wyoming where Daisy is to be hanged.

In the middle of a blizzard, they find themselves trapped in a cabin with 4 other men, and John suspects one of them to be in cahoots with Daisy, there to free her.

The performances are all quite solid, with Tim Roth as Oswaldo Mobray being the standout. Samuel L. Jackson is his usual self, and Kurt Russel is pretty fun as the Hangman. The film has a unique premise, it's being billed as a "whodunit" or a murder mystery.

The movie's slow start isn't unusual for Tarantino, but it took too long to get going. Only after the "intermission" (just a slight pause, in 70mm IMAX showings it was a true break) does the film really pick up. But despite taking all that time, I didn't particularly like any of the characters they built up.

With many of Tarantino's movies, the characters are morally ambiguous. But they're likable in an way, or maybe unlikable in a likable way. But The Hateful Eight are all kind of sick assholes that you end up not particularly caring for at all. That is the title of the movie, but there wasn't really a driving force for the plot. All of Tarantino's previous films have a distinct goal for the characters, and while it was present in the film, it was kind of glossed over to get to the violence, I didn't care about the goal.

I always look forward to whatever new idea Tarantino will present in his films, but I didn't feel like there was anything new, innovative, or exciting in The Hateful Eight. It was a retread of old ideas and old violence.

Tarantino's films are "guilty pleasures" in that despite the gross amount of onscreen violence and vulgarity, you end up oddly enjoying it and questioning yourself while doing so. But the Hateful Eight made me uncomfortable with some of it's content, even though it's relatively mild in comparison to some of his past works, because there was no emotion in any of the content. It just felt like it was there just to be there.


The film does has some funny moments, I was entertained by the second half, but it drags on with no real purpose. If you're a fan of his work, you'll probably find a little bit of fun in it. If not, I'd stay away. This isn't a film I feel could reach a broader audience. Which is unfortunate, because I love Tarantino.

Verdict: 2.5/5