Review of The Hateful Eight (2015) by Dylan R — 05 Jan 2017

Going into a film that has garnered up mixed reviews, I didn't know what to expect when viewing Quentin Tarantino's 8th installment to his unique genre. I can easily say, my expectations were blown away and exceeded, and "The Hateful Eight" is one of the most gruesome, entertaining, and fun films of the year! Whether you view this in 70mm or digitally, it is undeniable that the cinematography is gorgeously shot by Robert Richardson.

The entire opening credit sequence comes in classic Tarantino fashion, with gorgeous shots of the setting under an incredibly chilling musical score. Not only is the masterpiece of a film score by Ennio Morricone chilling, the whole landscape is quite literally chilling too, taking place in a blizzard in Wyoming.

The wintry shots of landscape are beautiful to the eye, and is one of the most visually gorgeous images I have ever seen on screen. Whether it be a pan of this incredible wintry setting, or one of many closeup scenes with the actors, the cinematography is spectacular, and looks great no matter what viewing method you so choose.

Aside from the stellar technical aspects of the film, the film also succeeds mostly due to its cast. Tarantino, along with casting director, Victoria Thomas, has assembled one of the best casts ever. It is common when dealing with an abundance of main characters (in this case, eight), that some character's stories become less important than others, or get lost in the shuffle, but Tarantino makes sure that each character, no matter how much screen time, gets the same amount of importance to the story.

Each character brings something to the table. Samuel L. Jackson is the perfect leading man, playing Major Marquis Warren, a strong, intimidating anti-hero, who brings such an incredible life and energy to the screen.

Kurt Russell (playing John Ruth) and Walton Goggins (playing Sherrif Chris Mannix) play the supporting leads so well, and keep the first, and duller, half of the movie lively. The cast wouldn't seem to be complete, however, without Jennifer Jason Leigh and her character Daisy Domergue, the woman wanted for $10,000 reward.

It's been a while since Leigh has been in the spotlight, but she absolutely shines in her role, and is the most entertaining character in the film. She brings a great amount of female badass to this film, and delivers some of the best moments of the movie for sure.

She certainly proves that the leading lady isn't always the damsel in distress, and female leads can be full of grit and fierceness. She is a true gem to the film world, and don't be surprised when she gets nominated, or wins, for her role.

Bruce Dern (as General Sandy Smithers), Demian Bichir (as Bob), Michael Madsen (as Joe Gage), and Tim Roth (as Oswaldo Bobray) complete the cast with great talent and chemistry, and in his short screen time, Channing Tatum (who plays Jody) steals the show, and instantly becomes an eye-catcher on screen.

Every actor plays off of each other so well, and brings the perfect amount of wit and humor, while also keeping up the seriousness in their roles. The film is long, but once the first gunshot is fired, there's no other spot to be in than the edge of your seat.

The first half is slower, but the dialogue is exquisite and one of Tarantino's best screenplays to date. While the first half is mostly character development and conversation, the second half is a marathon of typical Tarantino-style blood, guts, and gunshots, and its undeniable fun.

Tarantino proves time and time again that he is a master at what he does, and he has defined himself as a legend in filmmaking. "The Hateful Eight" is a successful addition to his genre, and is full of fun and surprises that not even a Tarantino fan like me could see coming.

If you've never seen a film of his, you may want to warm up with some "Django" or "Pulp Fiction" because this is a lot to handle, but it's a hell of a lot of fun (so much fun, that I've said fun a lot in this review, because there's no other way to put it).

We're eight films deep, and it just seems like the artistry of Tarantino's films keeps getting better and better, and never seems lazy or uninspired by any means. This will surely go down as one of Quentin's best, and an instant classic in the action-western genre.