By Bryanne Salazar
8:15am PDT, Oct 19, 2017
Quentin Tarantino is a director, writer, actor and producer with one of the most unique cinematic styles in Hollywood. Known for his heavy use of violence (including theatrical, over-the-top blood sprays and lengthy shoot-out scenes), edgy music, repeat actors (he's picky about who he works with) and — dare we say it — a sense of comedic whimsy, there's just something about his movies we can't ignore. In honor of the 25th anniversary of Quentin's first feature-length film, "Reservoir Dogs," on Oct. 23, 2017, Wonderwall.com is ranking all the movies he's written and/or directed from worst to best. Keep reading to find out where his first film landed on our list and which bullet-happy movie made it to our No. 1 spot.
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No. 14: "True Romance"
Quentin Tarantino wrote the screenplay for the 1993 crime drama "True Romance," which starred Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette. It's all about an unlikely couple who are running to escape the mob while carrying a suitcase full of cocaine. It was Quentin's second feature-length film and, for the record, even though it landed in last place, it was still an entertaining (albeit violent) adventure.
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No. 13: "Four Rooms"
One thing we know for certain about Quentin Tarantino is that he works well with others. Such is the case for one-fourth of the screenplay for the 1995 comedy "Four Rooms," for which Quentin wrote and directed the segment called "The Man From Hollywood" and took on a small role. This collaborative film starring Tim Roth as a bellhop (seen here with Quentin) takes place in a lowly Hollywood hotel and intertwines four unique stories (co-written and directed by Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez and Allison Anders) that all connect to the poor bellhop who's struggling to make all the guests happy while avoiding certain death.
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No. 12: "Death Proof"
The 2007 thriller "Death Proof" from the double-feature "Grindhouse" is classic Quentin Tarantino. (He wrote, directed and appeared on-screen in the 2007 project.) Starring Kurt Russell as a deranged stunt man who lures women into his custom-made car to murder them by purposely crashing, this sexy thrill ride has all the blood and guts you'd expect from Quentin while somehow maintaining a (slightly sick) sense of humor.
No. 11: "The Hateful Eight"
Written, directed and narrated by Quentin Tarantino, 2015's "The Hateful Eight" starred Samuel L. Jackson as well as Kurt Russell, Tim Roth and several more of Quentin's favorite actors. It's a fast-paced western-themed crime drama about three men and a lady who find an occupied shelter in a storm and quickly learn there's no one they can trust (not even each other) if they want to make it out alive.
No. 10: "Sin City"
We almost didn't include the 2005 crime thriller "Sin City" because Quentin Tarantino didn't technically direct the entire film (that was his best friend, Robert Rodriguez) nor did he write the screenplay (that came courtesy of comic writer Frank Miller). He was, however, a guest director and responsible for shooting the scene between Clive Owen (as Dwight) and Benicio Del Toro (as the corpse Jackie Boy) standing in front of a car before they're approached by a police officer. The scene (and the movie) was so good, we couldn't leave it off the list. Fun fact: Robert paid Quentin $1 for his work on the film.
No. 9: "Reservoir Dogs"
In 1992, Quentin Tarantino released his first feature-length film, "Reservoir Dogs" — a crime thriller he wrote, directed and (as would become his trademark) briefly acted in. The film starred Harvey Keitel and Tim Roth as two members of a group of criminals who get caught during a diamond heist thanks to one of the thieves being an informant for the police.
No. 8: "Natural Born Killers"
As comedic as it is gorey, the 1994 satirical crime drama "Natural Born Killers" is a fascinating look at how the media sensationalizes violent criminals. Starring Woody Harrelson as Mickey Knox and Juliette Lewis as Mallory Knox, the film depicts the couple's bloody mass-murdering spree down route 666 that's only made worse by how popular they become thanks to reporters (like one played by Robert Downey Jr.) glorifying their crimes. Oliver Stone directed the film, which was based on an original screenplay penned by Quentin (who received a story credit) that was heavily revised.
No. 7: "From Dusk Till Dawn"
Another collaboration between Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino is the 1996 supernatural crime thriller "From Dusk Till Dawn." The duo co-wrote the screenplay and Robert directed the film, which included a prominent starring role for Quentin alongside George Clooney and Salma Hayek. In the movie, George and Quentin played criminal brothers on the lam who hide out in a strip club in Mexico. The only problem with their plan? The strip club happens to be filled with hungry vampires.
No. 6: "Jackie Brown"
There's so much to love about Quentin Tarantino's 1997 crime thriller "Jackie Brown" — starting with the fact that Pam Grier (who plays the title character) is a bad a– throughout the entire film. When she's caught smuggling money on a flight and is forced to help the feds capture an arms dealer (who's threatened to kill her if she cooperates), she instead masterminds a plot to betray them all and make off with the cash.
No. 5: "Inglourious Basterds"
The 2009 action-adventure drama "Inglourious Basterds" is one of Quentin Tarantino's first forays into retelling history in a vengefully satisfying way. The film takes place during World War II when a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers plot to violently take down the Third Reich of Nazi Germany by any means necessary, including by taking their scalps. The movie stars Christoph Waltz as Nazi Colonel Hans Landa as well as Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender and, yes, Quentin himself.
No. 4: "Kill Bill: Vol. 1"
Quentin Tarantino's 2003 action thriller "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" starring Uma Thurman is one of the most visceral cinematic experiences we've ever had. Uma plays The Bride — a former assassin whose own team (including her ex-boyfriend, Bill) turned against her on her wedding day, killing her unborn child and leaving her comatose for four long years. When she wakes up, her only desire is to seek vengeance on everyone who betrayed her.
No. 3: "Kill Bill: Vol. 2"
Normally, a sequel is never as awesome as the original, but that's just not the case for Quentin Tarantino's 2004 crime thriller "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" starring Uma Thurman. In this second film, The Bride continues her murderous revenge streak, killing everyone who betrayed her four years earlier including her infamous ex-boyfriend Bill (played by David Carradine) and a host of bad-a– female assassins. Even cooler is the news that Quentin's bringing the story back to life with "Kill Bill: Vol. 3" (though there's no official release date yet).
No. 2: "Pulp Fiction"
There's a reason the 1994 cult classic "Pulp Fiction" starring Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta is one the most revered Quentin Tarantino films of all time. Not only is it a thrilling tale of two philosophical, Bible-quoting hit men and the people they interact with (and murder), but it's a story of redemption and, oddly, hope. Of course, it's also violent and bloody, making it one of the most unique crime dramas the world had ever seen. Written and directed by Quentin, the movie landed him his first Academy Award — for best original screenplay — in 1995. To date, it's still considered one of his greatest cinematic achievements.
No. 1: "Django Unchained"
The 2012 western crime drama "Django Unchained" starring Christoph Waltz and Jamie Foxx is undoubtedly the most incredible film Quentin Tarantino has ever made. Jamie plays the title character, Django, a slave who's freed and trained in the art of shooting by a progressive bounty hunter named Dr. Schultz (played by Christoph). Together, the pair collect bounties and kill evil slave handlers, ultimately working together to free Django's wife, Broomhilda (played by Kerry Washington). Also starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson and Quentin himself in a small role, this empowering reimagined slavery narrative turned history on its head by giving a victim of human trafficking the role of victor. The film took home two Oscars in 2013: best supporting actor for Christoph and best original screenplay for Quentin.
