There is a huge audience for both western films and thrillers individually but when the two genres come together, and direction from Quentin Tarantino is added into the mix, you know you are about to embark on what can only be described as an interesting watching experience.
Not one to slip under the radar, Tarantino’s films are some of the greatest, and that rings true today as The Hateful Eight is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Released 10 years ago, the film is set in the midst of a Wyoming winter a few years after the American Civil War and was inspired by western TV shows of the 1960s. It centres on a bounty hunter and his prisoner who find shelter in a cabin that is inhabited by a collection of villainous characters.
Trapped in the remote cabin, known as Minnie’s Haberdashery, the characters, who are all suspect in one way or another, begin to interact and tensions rise.
The film plays with themes of betrayal, vengeance and the dark side of human nature and the story unravels through flashbacks, intense dialogue and violent confrontations.
The characters include a bounty hunter, a former Confederate soldier, a criminal, and more—all with complex backstories and motivations. The narrative involves several twists and turns, as Tarantino’s trademark sharp dialogue and nonlinear storytelling style come into play. The film is known for its tense atmosphere, dark humor, and graphic violence.
The film stars Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern and Channing Tatum, The Hateful Eight was inspired by the Western TV shows of the 1960s.
The film won numerous awards in 2016 for its original score including the Academy Award for Best Music (Original Score) as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, the BAFTA Award for Best Original Score and the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Score.
Via google reviews, fans of The Hateful Eight say the film “left me speechless,” with another adding: “I love the music by Ennio Morricone, who won his first Oscar for composing this film”.
Another reviewer said: “The Hateful Eight is one of the best movies I have seen.”
The Hateful Eight is available on Amazon Prime Video.