Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Samuel L. Jackson | ... | ||
Kurt Russell | ... | ||
Jennifer Jason Leigh | ... | ||
Walton Goggins | ... | ||
Demián Bichir | ... |
Bob
(as Demian Bichir)
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Tim Roth | ... | ||
Michael Madsen | ... | ||
Bruce Dern | ... | ||
James Parks | ... | ||
Dana Gourrier | ... | ||
Zoë Bell | ... | ||
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Lee Horsley | ... | |
Gene Jones | ... | ||
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Keith Jefferson | ... | |
Craig Stark | ... |
Some time after the Civil War, a stagecoach hurtles through the wintry Wyoming landscape. Bounty hunter John Ruth and his fugitive captive Daisy Domergue race towards the town of Red Rock, where Ruth will bring Daisy to justice. Along the road, they encounter Major Marquis Warren (an infamous bounty hunter) and Chris Mannix (a man who claims to be Red Rock's new sheriff). Lost in a blizzard, the bunch seeks refuge at Minnie's Haberdashery. When they arrive they are greeted by unfamiliar faces: Bob, who claims to be taking care of the place while Minnie is gone; Oswaldo Mobray, the hangman of Red Rock; Joe Gage, a cow puncher; and confederate general Sanford Smithers. As the storm overtakes the mountainside, the eight travelers come to learn that they might not make it to Red Rock after all... Written by Jordan Crighton
Let me start off by saying. That anyone giving this film a 1 or 2 is embarrassing themselves and anything they say should be taken with a grain of salt. I'm not saying this because I like this movie, I'm saying it because it's true. Hardly any movie in the modern era deserves this rating unless it is shameless schlock without character or plot. The Hateful 8 is not that movie. The acting alone gives this movie a 6.5 because it is so good. If you were bored by this movie, I hope you can at least admit that the people involved with this film are extremely talented.
Now, having said that, I'll get into the meat of the review. I enjoyed this movie. However, I must admit that the main aspect of this film (and biggest cause of disdain), the dialogue, is so prominent that it might as well be the entire first half of the movie. When a movie is this dialogue heavy, it tends to put audiences to sleep. However, the cinematography and musical score is what kept me interested. I'm not usually one to notice music in a movie, but Morricone has done an excellent job of creating atmosphere and tension throughout this film. Without him, it's a real snooze-fest. Not to say that the dialogue wasn't top notch either. The lack of characters allows for more streamlined and focused storytelling. The movie stays away from unnecessary dialogue and story padding and focuses more on character building. It is clear from dialogue alone what every characters motivation is unless it is intentionally hidden.
I respect what this movie tried to do and I think Tarantino succeeded in making the movie he wanted to make. He created an atmospheric and genuinely intriguing mystery movie with a western theme. Now, that movie may not appeal to wide audiences and make tons of $$cash$$, but they tried something ambitious and I believe it payed off.