To say that the bulk of the almost three-hour western, The Hateful Eight, is set in one open room, it has resulted in an enormous amount of theories from fans of Quentin Tarantino. Despite being such an isolated movie, the filmmaker had turned Minnie’s Haberdashery into a giant mystery box.
Whether it’s theories over whether or not the Lincoln letter is real or whether or not Chris Mannix was actually the next sheriff of Redrock, the movie has had fans in a frenzy and coming to their own conclusions. From connections to other Tarantino movies to theorizing over the title of the film, there are some ingenious hypotheses, but there are some that are just absurd.
Ridiculous: Warren Killed Django
The Hateful Eight and Django Unchained could have more in common than just being westerns. At the end of Django Unchained, Steven tells Django that he won’t get away with murdering all of Calvin’s family and employees and that he’ll end up on the bounty posters himself. Well, that could very well have happened according to this theory.
Basing the theory on Easter eggs that were pointed out by Samuel L. Jackson that Marquis Warren (Jackson) rides on Django’s saddle, and that the bounty hunter’s jacket can be found in Minnie’s Haberdashery, the theory goes that Warren killed Django for a bounty. However, nobody has found these Easter eggs yet, and given how Django Unchained is meant to have such a happily-ever-after ending, it’s unlikely that this is true.
Makes Sense: The Lincoln Letter Is Real
Between the mystery of what’s in the briefcase in Pulp Fiction and whether or not Cliff Booth did kill his wife, Tarantino loves to leave at least one loose end not tied up in his movies, and that’s no different with The Hateful Eight. In the movie, Warren has a letter written to him from Abraham Lincoln, which some don’t believe is real.
At one point, Warren even laughs about it being fake, but this theory has evidence to prove he’s lying. The letter is written so eloquently in Lincoln’s handwriting that Warren couldn’t possibly replicate it, and the letter is the last thing Warren wants to hear before he dies.
Ridiculous: Warren And Daisy Had A Thing Together
While traveling in the station wagon, Warren smacks Daisy (Jennifer Jason Leigh) in the face so hard that she falls out. After that, she looks at Warren with a twinkle in her eye and licks her lips. One fan believes she acted like that because she was into him, and then they had a sexual encounter together.
But that’s so unrealistic, and given that Daisy is generally mischievous and the character loves to make men feel uncomfortable, she probably acted like that for that exact reason.
Makes Sense: It’s Secretly A Remake Of The Thing
Kurt Russell might star in both The Hateful Eight and The Thing, but the connections may not end there. Being one of the movies that influenced The Hateful Eight, The Thing isn’t just the source of inspiration for Tarantino, but The Hateful Eight could be a straight-up remake.
The Thing follows American researches in Antarctica, trapped in an isolated setting where none of the characters trust each other. Given how that’s totally similar to the premise of The Hateful Eight, a select few believe that it’s a remake.
Ridiculous: Mannix Is An Allegory For The Modern Generation Of Conservatism
As politics continue to divide the nation more than ever, some have come to the conclusion that The Hateful Eight is allegorical in the way it shows Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins) and Major Warren at odds against one another. The theory explains that the way the two are conflicted is a reflection of the current generation.
However, Tarantino has never used politics in his movies before or after The Hateful Eight, and where he stands on the political spectrum isn’t even clear. On top of that, the characters in the movie are so multi-dimensional with Mannix and Warren both learning from each other by the end of the movie.
Makes Sense: Bob Played Silent Night To Threaten Sandy
There are plenty of great musical moments in The Hateful Eight. The movie was scored by the iconic western composer Ennio Morricone, but when Bob (Demian Bichir) plays "Silent Night" on the piano, it could be the best hidden message in the movie.
As the third act reveals that Bob is part of the Domergue gang, some believe that he was playing “Silent Night” as a subtle threat to General Sandy Smithers (Bruce Dern), meaning that he’d be guts for garters if he spoke up about Bob’s true identity. It makes perfect sense, especially considering how Tarantino doesn’t put anything in his movies without any real meaning.
Ridiculous: Warren Is Django
Though there was a scrapped connection to Django Unchained that Tarantino had envisioned when writing The Hateful Eight, this theory believes that Warren’s secret identity is actually Django.
The reasons to back up the claim are that both characters are bounty hunters and that Warren lied at several points throughout the movie, so he could be lying about his identity too. However, Warren barely has any of the same character traits as Django, as Django loved to be theatrical and he was known to crack a joke or too, and it barely seems like Warren has a funny bone in his body.
Makes Sense: The Reason Behind The Title
With the title being The Hateful Eight, it has led to a lot of confusion about who the titular eight actually are, as there are way more than eight characters in the movie, with some being more “hateful” than others, especially when Jody is revealed. This theory explains that when the cabin full of dead bodies is finally found, the lawful characters are removed and given a proper burial.
However, the theory also explains that the wanted characters and the ones with bounties on their heads, including the three bodies on top of the stagecoach, get buried together in one burial, which becomes known as The Hateful Eight. It explains a lot, though the real answer could very well be that Tarantino is being typically self-indulgent and narcissistic, and it only has eight in the title because it’s his eighth movie.
Ridiculous: A Slave In The Cage In Django Became Warren
In what seems like a fleeting thought with no evidence to back it up, one fan thinks that the unnamed slave in the cage that Django frees grows up to become Warren. There is absolutely no evidence to support the theory whatsoever, but in Django, the camera does strangely linger on him for a long period of time.
And it also gives weight to the post-credits scene, which otherwise seems so out of place.
Makes Sense: Mannix Was Telling The Truth About Becoming Sheriff
Just like with the Lincoln letter, one thing that was left open-ended was whether or not Mannix really was telling the truth about becoming the Sheriff of Redrock. This theory believes it to be true, as it seems that when Mannix refers to himself as the sheriff, he truly believes what he is saying, and he never once tells a lie in the whole movie, unlike almost every other character.
And even on his deathbed, he is still talking about it, clearly proud of his stature.