The Hateful Great

Rating: 8/10 (2 January 2018)

*zero spoilers*
The beauty of Tarantino films has always been in their writing. The master class filmmaker has a unique way of turning even the most bland events into thought-provoking moments filled with everyday dialogue viewers can identify with. It is this craft for scripting that Tarantino films take hold, without the need for fancy set pieces, or blockbuster effects. The singular stories and events told within each film are just as entertaining as the ultimate whole they come together to create. It is through this facet that Tarantino succeeds again with his eighth feature film, appropriately titled, The Hateful Eight.
The film follows several characters (more than eight, but not all primary) as they ultimately converge together one snowy night in Western Wyoming, each with different motivations. Accusations and bullets soon fly in a who-done-it caper that, while not the biggest twist ending, finalizes itself in a climactic stand-off of Tarantino proportions.
This film embodies what we've expected of Tarantino films over the past two decades: interesting characters on relatively simple paths interacting with one another through non-linear story lines in a fantastically imagined alternate reality. As always, expect values to be tested in forms of racism, sexism, vulgarity, and morality, but of course his inclusion of these topics is always meant to draw emotion from the characters and audience. Although some instances within The Hateful Eight are hit or miss depending on your ideas surrounding social constructs, it's all done with good intentions, and not meant to offense. Then again, if you're a viewer that finds themselves often offended at film subjects, for any reason, Tarantino films are clearly not for you.
While not as conspiracy inspiring as Pulp Fiction, or Western driven as Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight still stands on its own as another success in the Tarantino library. Those that enjoy their clever conversation with a side of gratuitous violence will find this more than appealing.
-W