---
title: "Inglourious Basterds"
year: 2009
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/inglourious-basterds"
fi1m_id: "inglourious-basterds"
imdb_id: "tt0361748"
tmdb_id: 16869
wikidata_id: "Q153723"
fi1m_score: 92
critics_score: 53
critics_reviews: 9
published: "2026-09-09"
review_updated: "2026-09-28"
updated: "2026-09-28T00:41:45.525021+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Directed by Quentin Tarantino · 2h 33m · MPA R · Drama, Thriller, War

## Identity

Inglourious Basterds

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/inglourious-basterds
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** inglourious-basterds
- **IMDb ID:** tt0361748
- **TMDB ID:** 16869
- **Wikidata ID:** Q153723
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361748/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/16869, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q153723

**Fi1m score: 92** · Critics 53 from 9 reviews

*In a sentence:* A war film in which the most frightening weapon is a glass of milk

> Tarantino’s rewrite of the war is 153 minutes of people talking in rooms until somebody reaches for a gun, and the talk is the best he has written in years. Christoph Waltz carries it; the men it is named after nearly sink it.

## Synopsis

Occupied France, in five chapters. Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) arrives at a dairy farm looking for a Jewish family in hiding, and a young woman, Shosanna (Mélanie Laurent), escapes. Years later she runs a cinema in Paris under another name, where Fredrick Zoller (Daniel Brühl), a German soldier turned film star, takes an interest in her. Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) leads a unit of Jewish-American soldiers behind enemy lines, killing Germans and collecting their scalps. British officer Archie Hicox (Michael Fassbender) and actress Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) are drawn in when a film premiere brings the German high command to Paris. Quentin Tarantino writes and directs.

## Review

Quentin Tarantino writes and directs a 153-minute war film in five chapters, and the first caption tells you what sort of war it will be: “Once upon a time in Nazi occupied France”. Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) drives up to a dairy farm to ask the farmer some questions about a missing Jewish family. He is offered wine and asks for milk. He talks, at length, in French and then in English, for reasons that turn out to be practical, and the farmer answers. Almost all of it happens at a kitchen table.

It is the best-built scene Tarantino has directed. Robert Richardson keeps the light coming through one window and lets the kitchen go warm and brown around it, and Sally Menke cuts as slowly as the scene can stand, holding on Waltz while he finishes sentences nobody wants finished. We held our breath for most of it. What did it was the milk: poured, praised and drunk with perfect manners while the camera drifts down through the floorboards to show us who is lying underneath. Nobody has raised a voice and we already wanted to be somewhere else.

Waltz plays Landa as a man who likes being the cleverest person present and wants everyone to enjoy it with him. He moves between German, French and English the way other people change chairs, and he is courteous right up to the moment courtesy stops being useful. The film’s other lead has been rather overlooked. Mélanie Laurent plays Shosanna, who runs a cinema in Paris under another name some years after the farm and is courted there by Fredrick Zoller (Daniel Brühl), a German war hero who has just starred in a film about himself. Laurent plays her still and watchful; Brühl makes Zoller boyish enough that his vanity takes a while to show.

Then there are the Basterds. Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) leads a small unit of Jewish-American soldiers behind the lines, killing Germans and taking their scalps. Pitt plays him with his jaw stuck out and a drawl you could spread on toast, and it is a turn rather than a performance. Eli Roth’s Donny Donowitz has a baseball bat and one expression. Til Schweiger’s Hugo Stiglitz gets a title card, a guitar riff and a flashback. The second chapter is theirs, and it is where we looked at our watch. The film that carries their name is the least interested in them.

The later chapters bring in Michael Fassbender as Archie Hicox, a British officer who was a film critic before the war, and Diane Kruger as Bridget von Hammersmark, a German star working for the other side. A long scene in a cellar bar, which David Wasco builds low and cramped with the tables too close together, does what the farmhouse did with more people and more languages, and it is the second reason to see the film. We will not say how it ends. The last chapter takes the war somewhere history did not, and we will not describe that either, except to say that Anna B. Sheppard and Giorgio Armani dress it well and Richardson lights the cinema like a church.

Most critics do not agree with us. The reviews settled around the middle and several went well below it: too long, too pleased with itself, careless with the dead. We think the first two complaints are wrong. The talk is not the wait before the suspense; the talk is the suspense, because in occupied France the wrong word in the wrong accent gets you shot. The third complaint is fairer. The film treats the war as a set of film conventions and says so in its first line, and how far that excuses it depends on how much you think a fairy tale owes the facts. Whenever Hitler is on screen shouting, it is less clever than it thinks.

Against his own work it is the most patient film he has made since [*Jackie Brown*](https://film.one/film/jackie-brown), and the first in which his chatter has consequences. It is also baggy in the middle, and 153 minutes is a long time to spend on five scenes, however good three of them are.

See it for the farmhouse and the cellar, and see it in one sitting: each chapter builds its pressure from nothing, and a pause lets it out. The 18 certificate is earned in short bursts between long conversations. Most of it is in French and German with subtitles, and anyone who minds that should know it now.

*Fi1m score 92, published 9 September 2026.*

## Straight answers

**Is Inglourious Basterds worth watching?**

*Inglourious Basterds* is worth watching for anyone who can sit through 153 minutes of people talking in rooms until somebody reaches for a gun, and we scored it 77. The farmhouse and the cellar scenes are the reason to see it and Christoph Waltz carries them; the chapters given to Brad Pitt's Basterds are where it sags.

**How long is Inglourious Basterds, and what is it rated?**

*Inglourious Basterds* runs 2h 33m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a drama and thriller film.

**Where can I watch Inglourious Basterds in the US?**

*Inglourious Basterds* is streaming on Hulu and Disney+ in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Inglourious Basterds, and is it suitable for children?**

*Inglourious Basterds* carries an 18 certificate in the UK and is not suitable for children. The violence comes in short, hard bursts between long conversations, including scalping, and the tension of the talk itself is what frightens most. Most of the dialogue is in French and German with subtitles, so younger teenagers are unlikely to get far with it anyway.

**What should I watch after Inglourious Basterds?**

After *Inglourious Basterds*, try [*To Be or Not to Be*](https://film.one/film/to-be-or-not-to-be) (1942, Fi1m 87): Lubitsch made Nazis into farce while the war was on, and got away with it. Then [*Black Book*](https://film.one/film/black-book) (2006, Fi1m 80): Verhoeven’s wartime thriller about a Jewish woman hiding in plain sight, pulpier and sadder; and [*Django Unchained*](https://film.one/film/django-unchained) (2012, Fi1m 78): Tarantino does the same trick with American history; longer, bloodier, less disciplined.

### Reviews we read (16)

- **Radio Times**, Alan Jones (4/5): The review calls it a long but entertainingly showy melodrama full of cineaste jokes and references, with strong turns from Christoph Waltz and others. It singles out the dialogue-driven vignettes and soundtrack as engaging elements in Tarantino's history-bending homage. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-6heuqh/inglourious-basterds/)
- **Little White Lies**, Jonathan Crocker (3/3/3): The critic finds the film too long and self-indulgent overall but praises it for Christoph Waltz's standout performance as the Jew Hunter and flashes of sharp Tarantino dialogue. The opening scene and verbal set pieces are highlighted as highlights amid the bagginess. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/inglourious-basterds)
- **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis (60/100, inferred): The critic highlights Christoph Waltz's charismatic and menacing performance as the Nazi colonel Hans Landa, who dominates the film. While acknowledging the director's signature stylistic flourishes and movie references, the review notes the film's excessive length and uneven impact. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/21/movies/21inglourious.html)
- **Screen Daily** (50/100, inferred): The critic describes an intermittently inspired epic that shows Tarantino's brilliance alongside his indulgence, with disjointed vignettes and a focus on dialogue over momentum. It notes strong performances from Waltz and Laurent but flags challenges for mainstream audiences due to length and subtitles. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/inglourious-basterds/5001437.article)
- **The New Yorker**, David Denby (30/100, inferred): The review describes the film as a ridiculous and appallingly insensitive revenge fantasy that treats the Nazis and WWII history as mere movie tropes without moral accountability. It singles out Christoph Waltz's brilliant performance as Colonel Landa for praise while criticizing the overall silliness and lack of feeling. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/08/24/americans-in-paris)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (1/5): The critic finds the film a transcendentally disappointing dud and a colossal long-winded anti-climax, with Brad Pitt delivering his most charmless and wooden performance. Christoph Waltz is singled out as a real find in the role of Col. Hans Landa. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/aug/19/inglourious-basterds-review-brad-pitt-quentin-tarantino)
- **Empire**, Chris Hewitt: Tarantino delivers an idiosyncratic fairy-tale take on WWII that delights in subverting expectations with tense dialogue scenes, strong performances especially from Waltz, and a bold, outrageous climax that celebrates cinema's power. It is often dazzling and sees him back on exhilarating form. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/inglourious-basterds-review/)
- **Evening Standard**: This is an absurd, overlong and mostly cardboard version of World War II that lacks the flair of earlier Tarantino films and hinders actors with a screenplay that feels farcical or dull. Waltz stands out as the best performance amid the indulgence. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/first-review-tarantinos-inglourious-basterds-shot-down-in-cannes-7414436.html)
- **Slant Magazine**, Ed Gonzalez: Tarantino's most linear and humane film to date features lush dialogue and real women characters while scrutinizing his cinephilia in a WWII context. It is no masterpiece as alternate history but groundbreaking for the director, with purposeful talk and restraint. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/inglourious-basterds/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Kirk Honeycutt: The film races by but lacks Tarantino's signature dialogue, humor in violence, and outsized characters. It is mostly a conventional war movie with little action and insufficient depth for its leads. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/inglourious-basterds-review-tarantino-93203/)
- **The Independent**: The film is a gleeful fantasia of a war movie full of violence, comedy, talk and movie references that reminds why Tarantino first impressed. It excels in tense dialogue scenes and performances like Waltz's but lacks the texture of real life, making it enjoyable technique rather than greatness. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/inglourious-basterds-18-5492769.html)
- **Total Film**, Matthew Leyland: The film is a grand, self-indulgent talky affair crowded with film references that builds a world and shakes up the genre with tension, charm from Waltz, and love of cinema despite some overcooked caricatures and limited action. It is big, brash and unpredictable. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/inglourious-basterds-review/)
- **/Film**, Russ Fischer (7/10): The critic describes the film as an ambitious but flawed wild ride that offers a meditation on evil and propaganda. Hans Landa's charismatic performance is singled out as a highlight, though the film feels rushed in places with some self-indulgent moments. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/505065/inglourious-basterds-movie-review-ambitious-exciting-awkward-andsoulful/)
- **Den of Geek**, Michael Leader (3/5): The film is Tarantino’s most ambitious and provocative work to date but also his most underwhelming and fractured. The chapter-based structure feels jarring and unfocused, with tone shifts between pastiche, gung-ho action, caricature and straight drama that leave characters underdeveloped and the overall experience messy. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/inglourious-basterds-review/)
- **Eye for Film**, Chris (60/100, inferred): The review praises the inventive, graphic violence mixed with witty dialogue in Tarantino's signature style and strong performances, especially Christoph Waltz. It questions whether the film delivers enough substance or entertainment value beyond clever references and genre play. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/inglourious-basterds-film-review-by-chris)
- **The Wrap**, Desson Thomson: The critic ultimately praises the film as one of Tarantino’s greatest, arguing it provides a satisfying fictional moral catharsis by allowing the audience to see Hitler and the Nazis defeated in a spectacular way. He singles out the central conceit of American soldiers scalping Nazis and carving swastikas into their foreheads as delivering a powerful, heartening message about freedom eventually prevailing. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/i-come-praise-tarantino-not-bury-him-5380/)

## Details

- **Director:** Quentin Tarantino
- **Director:** Quentin Tarantino
- **Writer:** Quentin Tarantino
- **Cinematography:** Robert Richardson
- **Editor:** Sally Menke
- **Production design:** David Wasco
- **Costume design:** Anna B. Sheppard, Giorgio Armani
- **Producer:** Lawrence Bender
- **Cast:** Brad Pitt as LT. Aldo Raine; Mélanie Laurent as Shosanna; Christoph Waltz as COL. Hans Landa; Eli Roth as SGT. Donny Donowitz; Michael Fassbender as LT. Archie Hicox; Diane Kruger as Bridget von Hammersmark; Daniel Brühl as Fredrick Zoller; Til Schweiger as SGT. Hugo Stiglitz
- **Runtime:** 2h 33m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 21 August 2009
- **Genres:** Drama, Thriller, War
- **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Nominee, 2009); [Golden Globe Best Drama winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-drama.md) (Nominee, 2009)
- **Budget:** $70 million
- **Box office:** $321 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSEDz-my7XQ

## Where to watch in the US

- Hulu: streaming, hd
- Disney+: add-on, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, uhd

*Checked 2026-09-10.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, HK, HU, ID, IE, IN, IT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, TR, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2010: Best Cinematography (nominated); Best Director (nominated); Best Film Editing (nominated); Best Picture (nominated); Best Sound (nominated); Best Sound Editing (nominated); Best Supporting Actor (won)

## If you liked this

- *To Be or Not to Be* (1942), Fi1m 87: Lubitsch made Nazis into farce while the war was on, and got away with it — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/to-be-or-not-to-be.md)
- *The Dirty Dozen* (1967): The men-on-a-mission picture Tarantino is borrowing from, with the mission actually shown
- *Army of Shadows* (1969): Occupied France without the fairy tale: quiet, cold and about what resistance cost
- *Black Book* (2006), Fi1m 80: Verhoeven’s wartime thriller about a Jewish woman hiding in plain sight, pulpier and sadder — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/black-book.md)
- *Django Unchained* (2012), Fi1m 78: Tarantino does the same trick with American history; longer, bloodier, less disciplined — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/django-unchained.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/inglourious-basterds