It’s rather difficult to rank Quentin Tarantino’s best and worst films, because he doesn’t actually have a single bad film. In fact, he only has ten full directorial credits to his name in total anyway. As such, this list just going to demonstrate the division between his different levels of exceptional quality.
We’ve used IMDb to determine the five best and five "worst" Tarantino films ever made. Apparently he’ll only be making one more film anyway, so this list could be very close to the final ranking of all of his films... forever.
BEST: Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (8.1)
The Uma Thurman-starring, samurai sword-chopping, blood and gore festival that is Kill Bill: Vol 1 is one of Tarantino’s finest works. It’s a visual masterpiece that doesn’t shy from contrasting the darkness of sheer brutality with bright colors and fake happiness.
Thurman is spectacular in the starring role, while the story (which Tarantino wrote, as he does with all of his films) is incredibly gripping.
WORST: Kill Bill: Vol 2 (8.0)
The difference between the fifth-best and fifth-worst Tarantino film is not only 0.1 points, but also two halves of the same work. Originally, and hence why Tarantino doesn’t count both halves towards his officially tally of films, Kill Bill was designed to be one very long movie, which the studio had to convince Tarantino to split it in half. Interestingly, the unofficial version of the film that combines the two halves gains an 8.8 average — and a four-and-a-half hour runtime.
BEST: Reservoir Dogs (8.3)
Controversial for the sheer amount of violence and graphic depictions of torture, Reservoir Dogs often hasn’t always been remembered with much positivity.
However, its incredible story, artistic brilliance, and simply overwhelmingly genius direction have allowed it to still be considered one of the Hollywood greats — and it was Tarantino's first-ever film!
WORST: The Hateful Eight (7.8)
One of the more recent Tarantino ventures, The Hateful Eight wasn’t considered one of his most impressive moves ever, despite the incredible ensemble cast. However, for a film set primarily in one room to remain as gripping and exciting as this one does for three hours is the mark of a genius.
BEST: Inglourious Basterds (8.3)
Taking an alternate look at Nazi history, Tarantino gathered Brad Pitt and Christoph Waltz to tell one of the most exciting stories in the history of cinema. Everything from that stomach-turning opening to the realistic depiction of war is crafted to perfection.
Unsurprisingly, Tarantino’s 2009 epic was nominated for eight Academy Awards and has been referred to as one of the best films of the millennium.
WORST: Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood (7.7)
The most recent Tarantino film drew a rather controversial reception from both critics and audiences. On the one hand, the starring trio of Margot Robbie, Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt are exceptional throughout (and recasting Damon Herriman as Charles Manson was genius), but the film was considered by many as a little too meandering to qualify as one of Tarantino’s masterpieces.
BEST: Django Unchained (8.4)
The idea of a rich white guy telling a hard-hitting story about slavery might have been a point of contention upon its announcement, but critics and audiences alike couldn’t deny that Django Unchained is one of the finest examples of modern cinema.
Tarantino took historical liberties as always, and the violence was, of course, excessive. But it’s just too good to allow any of this impact your experience. The Hateful Eight was originally going to be a Django sequel.
WORST: Jackie Brown (7.5)
Arguably Tarantino’s most forgotten film, Jackie Brown lives in the shadow of all of its brothers and sisters. It is his only adaptation of a pre-existing work, and the film to revitalize the careers of Samuel L. Jackson and Pam Grier. However, if this was the only film Tarantino ever made, he’d probably only be remembered as a "good" director.
BEST: Pulp Fiction (8.9)
One of the few films everyone on Earth surely agrees is one of the greatest of all time without question, Pulp Fiction is a gritty crime drama that takes an artistic approach to chronology and fills itself with self-reference.
John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman play the lead roles to perfection, and combined with the writing and direction of Tarantino, create a true work of art.
WORST: Grindhouse: Death Proof (7.5)
Grindhouse is a very strange cinematic work. It allowed Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez to each make a film, the two of which were then designed to be shown together, interspersed with a variety of trailers for fake films (including ones shot by Edgar Wright and Rob Zombie). Death Proof is a bizarre horror film starring Kurt Russell as a murderous stuntman, but it certainly isn’t the greatest Tarantino of all time.