Quentin Tarantino Ranked

Welcome to the latest edition of "Ranked", where I rank a franchise or the filmography of an actor/director and hand out related accolades. This week, I'm profiling the work of writer/director Quentin Tarantino. 

Note: Movies Tarantino only wrote (True Romance, From Dusk Till Dawn) or directed a segment of (Sin City, Four Rooms) were excluded from this list.

Quentin Tarantino's Filmography Ranked:
10.Death Proof (B)
9.Kill Bill Vol. 2 (B)
8.Jackie Brown (A-)
7.The Hateful Eight (A)
6.Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (A)
5.Inglorious Basterds (A)
4.Kill Bill Vol. 1 (A+)
3.Django Unchained (A+)
2.Reservoir Dogs (A+)
1.Pulp Fiction (A+)

Top Dog: Pulp Fiction (1994)
No film has made a greater impact on how much I appreciate and view the medium than this timeless masterpiece. Pulp Fiction introduced me to the concept of non-linear storytelling, how having interesting characters is ultimately more important than having conventionally "likable" ones and of course, the brilliance of Quentin Tarantino-who would later go onto become my favorite filmmaker. It also just happens to be a remarkably entertaining ride full of wild twists and clever, quotable dialogue. If this ever ends up getting unseated as my favorite movie, there's a good chance I'll enter a shock-induced coma.    

Lowlight: Death Proof (2007)
I've never felt compelled to give Death Proof another watch, so it's entirely possible that it works better as a standalone effort. As part of the Grindhouse package, it suffered from being surrounded by sleazier, funnier and more enjoyable projects. A competent carsploitation thriller that's only real standout element is an eerie performance from Kurt Russell as a murderous stuntman that preys on women just couldn't compete with the bloody freewheeling fun of Robert Rodriguez's zombie flick Planet Terror or any of the fake trailers (Rodriguez's Machete, Rob Zombie's Werewolf Women of the S.S., Edgar Wright's Don't, Eli Roth's Thanksgiving) that perfectly captured the spirit of that era in genre movies.  

Most Underrated: The Hateful Eight (2015)
While it may be a bit of a step down from the unbelievable Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight is still a terrific, unconventional take on the western from Tarantino. The consciously deliberate pacing allows the tension between this mix of characters on both sides of the law (Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins, Demian Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern) that are stuck together in a small hotel during a blizzard to slowly escalate before the truth about their identities is revealed, the actors to turn in commanding performances (particularly Jackson and Goggins) and for the expected bloody finale to feel especially impactful.

Most Overrated: Kill Bill Vol.2 (2004)
Kill Bill Vol.2 ends on a triumphant note with an awesome fight between The Bride (Uma Thurman) and Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah) and a cathartic, surprisingly emotional final conformation with Bill (David Carradine) that put a nice bow on this epic story. The problem is that what precedes this terrific conclusion is a drawn-out, dull backstory that doesn't add much additional context as to why The Bride is going on her revenge spree while also failing to maintain the electric energy that made Kill Bill Vol.1 so successful.    

Best Main Character: Jules Winfield (Samuel L. Jackson), Pulp Fiction
There's no better vessel for Tarantino's witty, profane style of writing than Jules Winfield. Samuel L. Jackson turn this God-fearing hitman into the a scene-stealing, hilarious badass who almost exclusively dispenses all-timer monologues and dialogue exchanges. Displaying that level of dominance in a movie that features so many other awesome characters is exactly why Jules Winfield is such an icon.  

Best Minor Character: Captain Koons (Christopher Walken), Pulp Fiction
From Brad Pitt in True Romance to Bruce Dern in Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood, Tarantino has consistently displayed a gift for giving minor characters moments to shine brightly. His crowning achievement in this area to date came with Christopher Walken's unforgettable cameo as Vietnam veteran Captain Koons in Pulp Fiction. The lengthy flashback scene in which he presents a young Butch Coolidge (Chandler Linduer, later portrayed by Bruce Willis) with his late father's prized watch that he stored in an unexpected place may not be the most clever or meaningful moment of Pulp Fiction, but Walken's firmly committed deadpan delivery makes it one of the funniest.

A Link to The Apartment Scene from Pulp Fiction Because It Does a Good Job of Illustrating Why I Love Tarantino So Much: