The Hateful Eight review: Tarantino delivers a slower-paced western that is more Reservoir Dogs than Django Unchained.
Samuel L. Jackson // The Hateful Eight review
The Hateful Eight review by Paul Heath, January 2016.
The Hateful Eight is Quentin Tarantino‘s eighth film, a fact made quite clear even in the opening credits of his new western opus. It follows Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill (Vols 1 and 2), Death Proof, Inglourious Basterds, and Django Unchained to the screen in both a 70mm Panavision (roadshow) format, and your regular digital version, the format from which we are reviewing it.
The set-up is relatively simple. A bounty hunter named John “The Hangman” Ruth (Kurt Russell) is transporting his prisoner (Jennifer Jason Leigh) across country to be executed in the town of Red Rock. Along the way they encounter another bounty hunter (Samuel L. Jackson), and a wandering man (Walton Goggins) who claims to be the town’s new sheriff. After being outrun by a terrible blizzard, the group take shelter in a stopover named Minnie’s Haberdashery. There, there they run into four mysterious strangers, all of whom may have a hand in their immediate future.
Kurt Russell and Samuel L. Jackson // The Hateful Eight review
Following Tarantino’s huge success with Django Unchained, a film that won him an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and co-star Christoph Waltz one for Best Supporting Actor, the talented filmmaker continues on his quest into the wild frontier, surprisingly sticking to the same genre. Reunited with many of his frequent collaborators in Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Tim Roth, Walton Goggins and Michael Madsen, and new team members Bruce Dern, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Channing Tatum, Tarantino engrosses us in a story and setting that has more in common with his thrilling debut Reservoir Dogs than his previous western.
Smaller in scale and more intimate than ‘Django’, The Hateful Eight takes place in just a handful of locations; be it in moving stagecoach, roadside en route to Red Rock or in the main location of Minnie’s Haberdashery itself. It has a smaller budget, back-to-basics feel about it; playing almost like a stage-play, and with Tarantino’s trademark, beautifully constructed dialogue, lingering long-takes, glorious technical work and gory violence, you have another solid addition to his very strong career cannon.
Jennifer Jason Leigh and Kurt Russell // The Hateful Eight review
Kurt Russell is excellent here, channelling a brooding John Wayne in a brutally fierce turn as relentless bounty hunter John Ruth. He commands every scene he’s in, easily matching the amazing work on display from the always reliable Samuel L. Jackson, who delivers his biggest, and probably best Tarantino turn since Jackie Brown. There’s also Walton Goggins, who is perhaps the best thing about The Hateful Eight. The Shield and Justified alumni equals the performances of the aforementioned, and stands tall front and centre for much of the film’s three-hour plus running time as the very racist, maybe sheriff of Red Rock. Goggins continues his achievement in being the most watchable in everything he turns his very talented hand to, and capitalises on his ability to engross the viewer in his performance every second that he’s on-screen. Then there’s Jennifer Jason Leigh, the only female member of the ‘Eight’, as murderous, hate-filled outlaw Daisy Domergue who ties everything together. Perhaps her most high-profile, and indeed best role for many years (she’s just landed a Best Supporting Actress BAFTA nod), the actress’s subtle mannerisms and background movements top-notch before she unleashes a torrent of acting flare towards the film’s bloody climax.
Tim Roth and Walton Goggins // The Hateful Eight review
Then there’s screen veteran Bruce Dern who spends the entire piece sitting in a comfy chair, but who is front and centre for perhaps the film’s most tension-filled set piece. Tim Roth re-acquaints himself with his Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction director, as does Michael Madsen as brooding cowboy Joe Gage. It’s great to see them back in the fold.
The Hateful Eight takes its time in setting up its premise and the many characters contained within the story. There’s a hell of a lot of exposition and in true Tarantino style, it is very self-indulgent; perhaps too much. It lingers when it possibly doesn’t need to, but then there’s always an unexpected, though very simple story arc waiting to bite around the corner to maintain your attention. Then there’s Ennio Morricone‘s centrepiece score, a throw back to his westerns of over forty years ago; both brooding, booming and entirely grandious.
Samuel L. Jackson and Walton Goggins // The Hateful Eight review
As always with Tarantino films, the violence borders on the gratuitous boundary, and this one is up there with the most gory of them all, even if the blood doesn’t start to flow until we’re well past 90 minutes in. There’s a lot to like about the film, and while it’s not his best, it’s certainly a welcome change of pace that harks back to his earlier work. A solid turn from perhaps one of the greatest modern directors, and easily his best character driven piece since the mid-1990s. A change of pace with superb ensemble performances, great dialogue, over-the-top gore and a delicious plot you want to gorge on. Everything you’d expect from a Quentin Tarantino movie.
The Hateful Eight review by Paul Heath, January 2016.
The Hateful Eight is now playing in cinemas in the UK and the US.
