The Hateful Eight (2015)
I remember first seeing The Hateful Eight nearly 4 years ago in theaters and where I thought it was good I couldn't help but feel a little cold on it. Following a group of various people who are forced to take refuge in a stagecoach stopover due to a major blizzard, tensions slowly start to rise and blood starts being spilled. Sure the style was strong as expected from Tarantino but I specifically remember being pretty disappointed by the murder mystery side of this film and not really connecting with its characters. Sitting down to rewatch the film I went in pretty uninspired but from the very first shot I was blown away by this film, it felt like a completely different movie than I remembered from the last time I saw it and definitely made its way to top tier Tarantino status for me.

And first I must talk about the visual style that this movie has. As I mentioned it was from the first shot that I was sucked into this movie which is not just a meaningless phrase I chose to write, from the actual first shot of this movie this world and environment was one of the biggest highlights of the film for me. Normally when a film tries to really hype some production element such as this film shooting in Ultra Panavision 70 I look at it as more of a meaningless gimmick than anything else. It is rare to find something like this that truly makes a difference but the camera work in this movie is unlike anything else I have seen before. Having these wider angles due to filming in Ultra Panavision 70 and the rich colors that come from it brings this world to life like no other movie I have seen before. This is easily the best looking Tarantino film at least with his current filmography and I am so happy that Robert Richardson got a nomination for his work with the cinematography. I can't quite put my finger on the exact reason why it struck me so strongly but it was one of the huge reasons I was so engaged in the film from such an early point.
This also is easily one of the best screenplays that Tarantino has ever written. Where it is dark and gritty with some really troublesome and uncomfortable violence it is also so over the top and fun. There are so many great one-liners especially from Samuel L. Jacksons character yet it all blends so naturally together. It also has a murder mystery element that frustrated me one my initial viewing but going into the movie knowing the answers the mystery plays much better. There is also something really profound about this film, where Tarantino has had issues in the past with depth in his films this one is deep and interesting in a very nuanced way. Specifically, I really love how this movie explores the powers in lies. This is a movie built on suspicion, the audience gets to choose who and what they trust as truth and what they trust as a lie with no factual guarantee to almost anything. Every one of these characters could be lying about everything which not only just created a really interesting dynamic but also proved to create some interesting lessons form from that. I don't want to get too far into details but there are characters who find personal comfort in their lies who have built their identities with lies and even though those stories are fake it becomes a real part of them. We see how even knowing something is a lie doesn't totally kill an idea or emotion behind something. I know I am being a little vague here but I really don't want to give much away. Many called Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Tarantino's most mature film but I have to say that the deeper connections I found with this film to be much more mature and interesting.
This also is easily one of the best screenplays that Tarantino has ever written. Where it is dark and gritty with some really troublesome and uncomfortable violence it is also so over the top and fun. There are so many great one-liners especially from Samuel L. Jacksons character yet it all blends so naturally together. It also has a murder mystery element that frustrated me one my initial viewing but going into the movie knowing the answers the mystery plays much better. There is also something really profound about this film, where Tarantino has had issues in the past with depth in his films this one is deep and interesting in a very nuanced way. Specifically, I really love how this movie explores the powers in lies. This is a movie built on suspicion, the audience gets to choose who and what they trust as truth and what they trust as a lie with no factual guarantee to almost anything. Every one of these characters could be lying about everything which not only just created a really interesting dynamic but also proved to create some interesting lessons form from that. I don't want to get too far into details but there are characters who find personal comfort in their lies who have built their identities with lies and even though those stories are fake it becomes a real part of them. We see how even knowing something is a lie doesn't totally kill an idea or emotion behind something. I know I am being a little vague here but I really don't want to give much away. Many called Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Tarantino's most mature film but I have to say that the deeper connections I found with this film to be much more mature and interesting.

The acting is also really fantastic in this movie again being one of the best overall casts from Tarantino's filmography which has been known for having consistently strong actors in it. Samuel L. Jackson has such a natural charisma to him and the role of Major Marquis Warren is perfect for him. He is the perfect mix of gritty and charismatic to where it is perfect for Samuel L. Jackson. Kurt Russell plays John "The Hangman" Ruth who has the trouble of being a really unlikeable character, so much of the conversation surrounding him and his character is the violence he shows against women and where there is a conversation to be had surrounding the writing of his character it doesn't take away from how good Russell is in this film. Jennifer Jason Leigh was the one to get the Oscar campaign from this movie and I will say she is also really good. Despite being such a bad character in the world of this film she is so charismatic and fun yet also raw and brutal. Similar to Major Marquis Warren this is such a perfect character in the balance between being in a serious western drama and being in an over the top and fun Quentin Tarantino film.
I will say though that I think this is a movie that needs to be seen twice as I fully see why I had an issue with it the first time, especially the murder mystery side of things. This movie sets it up that this movie's point is this mystery which really it isn't. I am not going to spoil the ending of the film for you but it feels like the mystery is a let down because it doesn't play into the expectation that the audience put on it. It isn't some big twist or even really a major answer as to what is happening, instead, it is a piece to hold the plot and story together. On a second viewing knowing not to value that portion of the film so much it works much better as instead of investing in that dead-end you can appreciate the other sides to this movie which is where the true meat of the film is.
At the end of the day, The Hateful Eight is a movie that really worked for me on a second viewing. It is one of the most well crafted Tarantino films bringing the best visual presentation and one of the best script of his entire filmography. This is a film that you can think about and is one I am still thinking about even now as I write this. It is such an interesting movie with so much to chew on if you know where to look, I will be revisiting this film down the line and I think the more I look into it the more I will appreciate it. If you are someone like me who was a bit sour on the film at first viewing please go give it another try, there is something really wonderful here if you learn to view the movie through the correct lenses.
I will say though that I think this is a movie that needs to be seen twice as I fully see why I had an issue with it the first time, especially the murder mystery side of things. This movie sets it up that this movie's point is this mystery which really it isn't. I am not going to spoil the ending of the film for you but it feels like the mystery is a let down because it doesn't play into the expectation that the audience put on it. It isn't some big twist or even really a major answer as to what is happening, instead, it is a piece to hold the plot and story together. On a second viewing knowing not to value that portion of the film so much it works much better as instead of investing in that dead-end you can appreciate the other sides to this movie which is where the true meat of the film is.
At the end of the day, The Hateful Eight is a movie that really worked for me on a second viewing. It is one of the most well crafted Tarantino films bringing the best visual presentation and one of the best script of his entire filmography. This is a film that you can think about and is one I am still thinking about even now as I write this. It is such an interesting movie with so much to chew on if you know where to look, I will be revisiting this film down the line and I think the more I look into it the more I will appreciate it. If you are someone like me who was a bit sour on the film at first viewing please go give it another try, there is something really wonderful here if you learn to view the movie through the correct lenses.