The Quentin Tarantino Thriller On Netflix That Doesn’t Get Enough Love
The award-winning director Quentin Tarantino has created nine incredible films over the course of his career. While some of his bigger films, like Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, and Reservoir Dogs tend to steal the spotlight, his other movies are absolutely worth a watch. One of his more recent films that is deserving of your love is The Hateful Eight, which you can watch right now on Netflix.
In this 2015 film from Quentin Tarantino, he merges two of his favorite genres together: a thriller and a western. Taking place in 1877 America, a blizzard hits Wyoming and forces eight strangers to take shelter together at a stagecoach stopover called Minnie’s Haberdashery.
The Hateful Eight, originally intended to be a sequel to Django Unchained, is available to stream on Netflix.
Among the eight strangers are two bounty hunters (Major Marquis Warren and John “The Hangman” Ruth ), a supposed sheriff (Chris Mannix), and fugitive “Crazy” Daisy Domergue. As the snow continues to mount outside, tensions between the strangers begin to rise within the lodge. Soon, a hostage situation unfolds in which several of the nefarious characters must fight for their lives.
The Hateful Eight is a classic Quentin Tarantino film as it has plenty of violence, humor, and long stretches of dialogue while it confronts issues of race. It’s also the longest film yet from the director, clocking in at two hours and 47 minutes. There is an even longer version, which Netflix released as a four-part mini-series entitled The Hateful Eight: Extended Version.
Originally, the film was supposed to be a sequel to Tarantino’s 2012 western Django Unchained, but after further consideration, he changed it to be its own standalone film. Before production of the film began, the script was leaked to the public. This caused Tarantino to nearly drop the film altogether and just release it as a novel instead.
In a clever move from the director, he read the leaked script for The Hateful Eight during an event by the Film Independent at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). To keep interest alive for his upcoming movie, he announced that he had written two new drafts of the script with a different ending. So, while some people had discovered the plot points of the new movie, they at least would not know the ending of the final film.
Quentin Tarantino cameos in The Hateful Eight as the narrator in an uncredited role.
The cast of The Hateful Eight is packed with great actors, including Samuel L. Jackson as Major Marquis Warren, Kurt Russell as John “The Hangman” Ruth, Jennifer Jason Leigh as “Crazy” Daisy Domergue, and Walton Goggins as Chris Mannix. Quentin Tarantino, who often has a cameo in his own movies, lent his voice as the film’s uncredited narrator. He also cast several actors who make frequent appearances in his films, including Tim Roth and Michael Madsen.
Overall, The Hateful Eight received mostly positive reviews from fans and critics. Many complimented Tarantino on his ability to tell a gripping story that simply takes place within four walls and between eight characters. Further, he did not shy away from the racism and sexism of the times but instead brought them into the forefront of the picture.
There was a lot of negative backlash over the way the female fugitive (played by Jennifer Jason Leigh) was treated. While some felt that it was disturbing to see a woman being physically and verbally abused, others appreciated the fact that she was not treated any differently than the sinful men in the same room.
Some see The Hateful Eight as Tarantino’s worst movie, but its lack of commercial success can partially be blamed on a boycott. While attending a Black Lives Matter rally, the director spoke openly about the rampant police shootings, saying that he will “call the murderers the murderers.” Some people interpreted this as him being a cop hater, so some police groups around the country pledged to boycott his new film.
The Hateful Eight made $156 million worldwide, which is good for an R-rated film focused on character drama, but disappointing following the success of Django Unchained.
The Hateful Eight is—fittingly—Quentin Tarantino’s eighth feature film. In 2019, he released his ninth film, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, which received high praise from fans and critics. Next up, the director is working on his tenth and supposedly final film, The Movie Critic, which will take place in Hollywood in the 70s.
While we anxiously wait for the new film, check out The Hateful Eight (or the extended version) while it’s available on Netflix.
