The Hateful Eight Review

Reviewed By Justin D Williams

While racing toward the town of Red Rock in post-Civil War Wyoming, bounty hunter John "The Hangman" Ruth (Kurt Russell) and his fugitive prisoner (Jennifer Jason Leigh) encounter another bounty hunter (Samuel L. Jackson) and a man who claims to be a sheriff. Hoping to find shelter from a blizzard, the group travels to a stagecoach stopover located on a mountain pass. Greeted there by four strangers, the eight travelers soon learn that they may not make it to their destination after all.

Quentin Taratino 8th installment is probably his most ambitious film to date. He returns to the western genre with a mix and style of the film of “Reservoir Dogs.” The Hateful Eight is a good film but definitely not Taratino’s best. I will say when it comes to characters “The Hateful Eight” truly delivers. The characters are fun, engaging and the audiences will definitely have a favorite character in this movie. The problem I had with the film is the run time. The film runs 3 hours long and there are a couple of scenes that could have been easily cut down to make the film 2 hours and 30 minutes. The film has a few dead scenes that drag on a little bit too long. I did enjoy the in depth backstory on each character to give us a connection to them. It just seem that the film took more time explaining who these people are more than actually moving the plot forward from time to time. Other than that minor gripe I truly enjoyed the film. The way the story is told is like reading a book. The film is divided into chapters with a narrator appearing from time to time to explain things. I actually enjoyed this format and it felt like I was watching a book in live action form with the fade out turning the pages.

The film also succeeds in the direction and acting departments. Samuel L. Jackson is as good as ever as he commands the screen as a former slave turned bounty hunter who fought in the civil war Major Marquis Warren. Kurt Russell plays John “The Hangman Ruth who is very entertaining with his no nonsense attitude. However I will have to say the show stealer of this film goes to Walton Goggins as the Sheriff. Walton delivers a stellar comedic performance of a simple man who has his own skewed ideals and philosophy. Anytime he is one screen you can see the passion he has for the role. Other actors like Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Channing Tatum and Jennifer Jason Leigh all do great jobs. The direction is great and Taratino shows you he keeps improving over time. The film looks beautiful and even though most of it takes place in cabin/bar the way he does his shots is impressive. Overall the film is enjoyable, funny and has some action towards the end. However what makes this film great is the character interaction, the theme that is presented and the style and presentation of the film. The run time might be a little long but if you stick with it you will get some good characters with a twist ending.