--- title: "The Hateful Eight: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-hateful-eight/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-hateful-eight" critics_score: 69 critics_reviews: 19 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." --- # The Hateful Eight (2015): what the critics said Critics' score 69 from 19 reviews: 13 positive, 3 mixed, 3 negative. Most critics like The Hateful Eight, but the spread is unusually wide, running from outright admiration to open hostility. The praise clusters on the cast, with Samuel L. Jackson and Jennifer Jason Leigh named again and again, and on Tarantino’s dialogue, the 70mm photography and the Morricone score. Several reviews describe it as a return to the single-room set-up of Reservoir Dogs, now with flashbacks and a political charge on race. The reservations are just as consistent: the running time, a talky first half that more than one critic calls a slog, and a suspicion that Tarantino is indulging himself. The dissenters are not fringe voices. The New Yorker finds the film sadistic, piling up tension only to spend it on carnage; Vulture argues the wit and the cruelty are the same thing; the Los Angeles Times calls it a bore stretched to excessive length. Even admirers concede the violence and the racial epithets will send some viewers away. ## The AV Club — Ignatiy Vishnevetsky Rating A-. 16 December 2015. The film is a stubbornly theatrical, difficult Western that withholds action before exploding into gruesome violence and concludes on a disquieting note of hope, presenting a perverse vision of sadistic men comforted by false causes and the betrayed promise of America. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/quentin-tarantino-gets-theatrical-in-the-70mm-western-t-1798186033) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 7 January 2016. The critic hails Tarantino's audacious screenwriting as powering a brilliantly cast, superbly scored and horribly violent epic about snowed-in desperadoes. The dialogue, structural audacity with flashbacks, and performances especially by Samuel L. Jackson are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jan/07/the-hateful-eight-review-tarantino-triumphs-with-a-western-of-wonder) ## Financial Times — Damon Wise Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 7 January 2016. The critic finds the film a provocative return to Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs template, now with multiple timeframes and a political subtext on race and injustice. The performances and Morricone score are noted amid the violent secrets that unfold in the remote setting. [Read the review](https://www.ft.com/content/78c5addc-b540-11e5-8358-9a82b43f6b2f) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 4/5. Reservoir Dogs goes West in this homage to cowboy TV shows and Sergio Corbucci. The dialogue-heavy first half is a bit of a slog but the brutal wit, upended clichés and fine cast deliver a polished and satisfying conclusion. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ob9f2i/the-hateful-eight/) ## Time Out Rating 4/5. Tarantino's most pleasingly claustrophobic film since Reservoir Dogs mixes Agatha Christie with John Carpenter in a talky whodunnit western. It is as pure an expression of his voice as ever, savoury yet with a hint of nasty bitterness. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-hateful-eight) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 15 December 2015. The critic finds the film a delicious if familiar hothouse whodunit that delivers on Tarantino’s signature dialogue, suspense, and confrontations despite its length and echoes of prior works. It singles out Jennifer Jason Leigh’s memorable turn as the standout performance amid the strong ensemble. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/the-hateful-eight-film-review-1201660267/) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 24 December 2015. The critic sees the film as a quintessential Quentin Tarantino movie that blends verbiage and violence while riffing on his own past work and classic films. It singles out the sumptuous 70mm presentation and the ensemble cast of familiar faces for their contributions to the tension and allusions. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/25/movies/review-quentin-tarantinos-the-hateful-eight-blends-verbiage-and-violence.html) ## Evening Standard — David Sexton Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 8 January 2016. The critic views the film as a pompous opera inflated from a compact closed-room mystery, full of speechifying and sudden extreme violence. He finds it mannered, grandiose and self-indulgent yet absolutely expert in its execution and aesthetic approach, with strong turns from the ensemble. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-hateful-eight-film-review-a3151521.html) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 15 December 2015. Festival review. Conceptually brilliant as a slow-burn meditative chamber piece that reveals grander ambitions, though Tarantino's indulgences in gratuitous violence and racial epithets remain fully on display. The protracted opening may leave some cold. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-hateful-eight-review/5097589.article) ## Film Comment — Steven Mears Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). The film is a grand monument to Tarantino's style and indulgence, best enjoyed in 70mm if one appreciates his work. It shifts from an engaging first act into stretches of tedium before highlighting strong performances, especially Jennifer Jason Leigh's. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/review-the-hateful-eight-quentin-tarantino/) ## Little White Lies — Adam Woodward Rating 2/3/3. 17 December 2015. Tarantino's bloody, bloated ensemble western is overshadowed by his own inflated ego and feels like he is living on past reputation. It has standout scenes and performances but is ultimately underwhelming and frustrating. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-hateful-eight) ## Sight and Sound — Michael Atkinson Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 8 January 2016. The film is a protracted TV-play-like chamber piece in a snowbound cabin that tests viewers' patience and ardour for Tarantino's tastes. It lacks ideas compared to his better work but rewards re-viewing for those who appreciate his style. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/film-week-hateful-eight) ## Slant Magazine — Jaime N. Christley Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 15 December 2015. The film marks a clean break from cool criminals, filling the screen with vermin in a bleak, severe, and macabre snowbound Western that resembles giallo horror in its focus on cruelty, lies, and a pursuit of justice that stains even its nominal protagonists. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-hateful-eight/) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 27 December 2015. The critic views the film as a sadistic chamber piece that piles up tension only to resolve it in unmerciful carnage, mixing Agatha Christie and Sergio Leone influences with postmodern twists. It singles out Jennifer Jason Leigh’s performance, particularly one close-up, as the most convincing portrait of wickedness. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/01/04/wilder-west) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 23 December 2015. The critic contends that Tarantino’s wit and craftsmanship are tied to his sadism, calling the film perversely crabbed and nihilistic with cruelty for its own sake and excessive gore over substance, despite brilliant setup and standout performances. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2015/12/review-the-hateful-eight-is-tarantino-unchecked.html) ## Empire — Ian Freer 5 January 2016. The critic praises the shift from epic landscapes to intimate cabin tension among eight strangers, noting strong performances especially from Samuel L. Jackson and the film's political charge on race and division. It ultimately delivers big, bold, blood-soaked rewards comparable to Tarantino's best recent work. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/hateful-eight-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Michael Phillips Rating 2 stars. 24 December 2015. The critic calls the film an ultrawide bore that stretches a thin story to excessive length with showy rhetoric and tedious gags. It singles out the bloated script and self-indulgent running time as the main flaws despite the impressive 70mm roadshow presentation. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-hateful-eight-review-20151225-17-story.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy 15 December 2015. The critic describes the film as a verbose, nihilistic whodunit in which the bad guys love the sound of their own voices, praising the elaborate dialogue and cast performances while noting its confined setting and length may limit broader appeal. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/hateful-eight-film-review-849069/) ## Total Film — Jamie Graham 4 January 2016. The critic calls it a superior entertainment and Tarantino's most mature outing since Jackie Brown, with novelistic pacing, political themes on race, and standout performances from Jackson, Roth and Leigh. The wide lensing and theatrical dialogue enhance the cabin-bound drama despite looser structure than Reservoir Dogs. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/hateful-eight-review/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating A. 24 December 2015. The critic finds the film a wonder that continues Tarantino's growth while exploring racial tensions through dark comedy and violence in a confined Western setting. The strong ensemble cast, particularly Jennifer Jason Leigh and Samuel L. Jackson, is singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-hateful-eight-review-quentin-tarantino/) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating 4/5. 17 December 2015. Tarantino delivers his most elaborate dialogue-driven thriller yet, blending classic Western elements with his signature tension-building in a snowy Wyoming cabin. Strong performances, particularly from Samuel L. Jackson and Jennifer Jason Leigh, elevate the lengthy but focused character piece. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-hateful-eight-review/) ## Digital Spy — Ali Plumb Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 2015. Tarantino creates his most indulgent, dialogue-heavy murder mystery yet, full of heightened performances, gorgeous 70mm visuals, and a bloody payoff. It is chatty, gory, and fun for fans but unlikely to convert detractors due to its excess and lack of emotional investment in the characters. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a777798/the-hateful-eight-review-quentin-tarantino-pours-you-the-most-enjoyable-bloodbath-of-the-year/) ## The Playlist — The Playlist Staff Rating B-. 23 December 2015. The critic feels conflicted about this gleefully nasty, self-indulgent chamber drama that is too long and often needlessly violent. They single out the delicious performances and the suspense that builds once the story kicks into gear for praise. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-quentin-tarantinos-gleefully-nasty-the-hateful-eight-with-kurt-russell-jennifer-jason-leigh-samuel-l-jackson-more-20151223/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond 17 December 2015. The critic calls the film an unabashedly enjoyable hilarious and violent Western epic, one of the best comedies of the year, with masterful scripting, gorgeous Ultra Panavision cinematography, and a first-rate ensemble cast. Walton Goggins stands out as the scene-stealing highlight among strong turns from Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Samuel L. Jackson. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2015/12/the-hateful-eight-review-quentin-tarantino-western-video-1201668752/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-hateful-eight.md