Great Fun

Rating: 8/10 (11 January 2016)

Personally I had a great time watching Hateful 8.
Part western, part Agatha Christie whodunnit, the movie is best viewed as a graphic novel or as some have commented as a stage play.
I think what surprised me the most was just how funny it was. Sure QT is no stranger to putting humour into his movies but I found myself chortling along to the vast majority of film.
And the comedy fits and never detracts with what's going on on- screen or overshadow QT's dark views on race relations or lack thereof in the U.S's past and present.
The performances are fantastic, especially those of Jackson and Goggins. The fact that Goggins in particular was not honoured or at least nominated at the Golden Globes is a real shame. His is a multi-layered performance of a character that enjoys one of the most interesting arcs of the film and Goggins plays it to a tee.
My only quibble with it is that it lacked suspense, which is a fairly major thing when you're creating a mystery/thriller of this kind.
Morricone's brilliant score set the tone of a dark fantasy thriller western (think High Plains Drifter) but the film never lives up to the promise.
Other than that, it was a brilliant slow burn to a really fantastic blood soaked climax.
I would say that while Inglorious and Django were more balanced films in terms of dialogue and action, Hateful was in its way a better movie because of the depth of the script.
If you're looking for a thrill ride, this ain't it. If you want a brilliant crafted script with exceptional performances that actually makes you think then QT's latest is for you.