Things you will always get in a Tarantino film: Amazing dialog, check. Ultra violence, check. An intricate storyline that keeps you guessing, check. And Samuel L. Jackson, check!
The Hateful 8 is Quentin Tarantino’s latest film and is set in the post civil war era. It is a western film that looks more like a stage play than his usual quick cuts and interesting locations style. Eight strangers find themselves snowed into a cabin in the woods during a winter storm. Tensions are high because one of the visitors is a Bounty Hunter who has brought a woman, worth $50,000 dead or alive. Mistrust boils over when one of the travelers is found dead, and the hunt for the killer ensues.
I am a huge Tarantino fan, so I was really looking forward to this movie. The premise is very interesting and with a star studded cast I had thought this could be Oscar worthy. Unfortunatelythis movie fell short of my expectations and felt like a missed opportunity.
This is basically a stage show as 90% of the film takes place in a log cabin, so the movie relies heavily on characters and acting. It is masterfully acted but I felt as though the pace slowed down at parts of its three hour run time. All of the Tarantino hallmarks were there but overall, the movie fell a little flat. The first and third acts are extremely well done and I wish they could have stretched those out and cut the second act all together.
If you see this movie you will definitely have fun watching, but this is not going on my list of all time favorite Tarantino films. I think this is worth watching once and maybe it will lead you to rewatch Pulp Fiction!
My final score: 3 out of 5 gunshots