The three best (and worst) movies by Quentin Tarantino

Quentin Tarantino is a polarizing figure. Whether it’s his brazen personality, or his ultra-violent movies, something is sure to turn people off. With that being said, he’s my favorite director.

I find his passion for cinema endearing. While he may seem like a motor-mouthed nut to some, I think that’s just his passion shining through. His movies have a distinct style–they use violence as a device for comedy.

His films aren’t for the faint of heart. So whether you’re a Tarantino fanatic like me or just want to explore his filmography, I’ve got you covered with my three best and worst Tarantino movies.

With Tarantino constantly reiterating his intention to only direct 10 films, and since we at Hidden Remote haven’t ranked his movies since 2019, I thought this might be the ideal time to reflect on his films so far with the nine films he’s already directed.

This list only includes films Tarantino has directed. Films he’s written but did not direct (True Romance or Natural Born Killers) will not be included.

The best and worst Quentin Tarantino movies

Inglourious Basterds  (2009)

Starring Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Melanie Laurent, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl, and Michael Fassbender.

Taratino’s ‘lull’ period came somewhere in the mid-2000’s. Following the lack of critical success for Death Proof, Tarantino soon fell out of favor and lost some of his luster from his groundbreaking success in the 90’s. He changed all of that in 2009 with the release of Inglourious Basterds.

With a script he had been working on for roughly 10 years, Inglourious Basterds proved once again that Tarantino could write a scene with the best of them. The opening 20 minutes is a tense, quiet chess match that might be the most patient yet persistent piece of writing Tarantino has ever committed to the screen.

In my opinion, this movie was cast perfectly and it needed to be. Only 30% of the film is in English, requiring the multi-lingual Christoph Waltz and other French and German actors to give the film its authenticity. Waltz’ character, Hans Landa, might be the most deliciously evil character Tarantino has ever created and the role required Waltz to give his all.

Overall, I think Inglourious Basterds is Tarantino’s best work. The screenplay is impeccable, the characters feel lived-in, and as the last line in the movie suggests, “This might just be my masterpiece.”