One Of The Best Of 2015!

Rating: 10/10 (27 January 2016)

Now, a lot has been said about this film in regards to how slow going it is, and, to be fair, it IS really slow going for the first hour or so. But, once Samuel L. Jackson tells his tale of forced oral sex, things really start to switch around. The story soon picks up and becomes a very taut and suspenseful story. In many respects, this film is better than Django Unchained, and here's why. First of all, the story. Django was just your simple revenge film. Yes, it was a great movie (You know, besides Jamie Foxx), but the story itself wasn't all that new or inventive. However, The Hateful Eight is a story of distrust and mystery that is very original. The only movie that I could possibly compare this to in terms of story is Reservoir Dogs, Tarantino's debut film (Michael Madsen's even in it!). Secondly, the setting. The first 35 minuets or so of this movie takes place on a stagecoach. But, the whole rest of the movie takes place in this small cabin. It almost gives the movie this claustrophobic feeling. Plus, it shows how much Tarantino can do with hardly anything at all. It does so much with so little in terms of suspense, action and atmosphere. Plus, every single actor in this movie is absolutely perfect in their role. The performance that stands out to me the most in Jennifer Jason Leigh as Daisy Domergue. She is AMAZING here! I buy every line she says, every look she gives. Plus, the make-up artist in this movie did a fantastic job making her look absolutely beaten to a pulp. The cinematography is also great, in case you expected any less from a Tarantino film. Now, there are some nitpicky things you could point out in this film, but before you do that, I would encourage you to watch the Nostalgia Critic editorial "When Is It Right To Nitpick?" But, the last half of this movie is very suspenseful. You want to find out who the liar is and their motivation and whether or not our characters make it out alive. I saw this movie twice in theaters, and even the second time around, even though I already knew what was going to happen in the end, I was still on the edge of my seat! I would've watched it a third time, but our local theater took it out. It's a movie that has fantastic rewatchability. It's not necessarily for fans of Tarantino is general. Although it is probably one of the goriest Tarantino films, it is not for the masses. It IS slow going, but, if you're patient, the payoff is incredible.