One of the things that distinguishes Tarantino films from others is his excessive use of violence. It often is improbable, depraved but satisfying nonetheless. It is inherent human desire to see and indulge in violence, in any sort way. While some argue about the fact that it is immoral to use such an excessive amount of perverted violence yet some believe its just pure fun. The whole question of violence in films is divisive. It depends on individual how he responds to such violence
Most Violent Movies by Quentin Tarantino Ranked
However, we will not discuss about morality or immorality of violence in films and especially Tarantino’s films. It requires a way broader m discussion which can hardly be sufficed here. Here, we rank his films on the basis of how violent they are. Since it is one of the distinguishing element of his films. So, lets jump into it.
10. Jackie Brown
1997 | Crime, Drama
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Forster, Bridget Fonda and more.
IMDb Ratings: 7.5/10
Tarantino’s most humane and down to earth movie is also one of his most character driven film to date. Surprisingly though, Jackie Brown also contains many instances of violence, yet it ranks the lowest in terms of amount of violence. So, one can imagine how violent his following films are. The acts of violence here, though very less in this one than other films, are impactful and very realistic, with of course certain distinguishable Tarantino esque factor. The violence here is restricted to couple of people getting shot very abruptly.
9. Reservoir Dogs
1992 | Crime, Crime
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawerence Tierneyand more.
IMDb Ratings: 8.3/10
Tarantino shocked the world with this violent and bloody debut. It was a starting point of this blood, gore and violence loving director. While the violence here is nothing compared to his other films, yet it was pretty shocking in its time. There were very limited number of scenes containing violence. Much of the films working as a chamber drama, with anticipation of violence lurking all the time. The ‘ear’ cutting scene was most memorable and violent scene of the film. There were couple of more scenes including the final tense shootout scene and one instance where a character is shot, with blood all over his body and who screams and yells like a pig throughout almost the entire half of film. Tarantino sure likes to torture his characters!
8. Death Proof
2007 | Action, Horror
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Quentin Tarantino, Kurt Russell, Zoe Bell, Vanessa Ferlito, Mary Winstead and more.
IMDb Ratings: 7/10
Regarded as Tarantino’s weakest film, which the director himself acknowledged, this films contains several scenes of atrocious violence but it serves the purpose of gratuity than anything else. The violence used here is for satisfying the hunger of violence. The car crash scene where a body is shown getting smashed, torn to pieces in slow motion and with many different angles. It was a very bloody scene. There were many more instances of violence, like Stuntman Mike doing his usual killings fun and final chase sequence but nothing more violent like the before mentioned ‘car crash’ scene.
7. Kill Bill 2
2004 | Action, Crime
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, David Carradine, Daryl Hannah Vivica A Fox and more
IMDb Ratings: 8/10
While the earlier Kill Bill shocked the entire world with its bloody and brilliant violence, the second film rather seemed breezy in comparison. While it certainly is not devoid of violence, it is surprisingly meagre. With several confrontational scenes and duels, with character getting burnt alive, or getting bitten by a snake or a character’s eyes getting gouged out, this is still surprisingly less violent than Kill Bill: Vol 1, which certainly gives us the idea of how violent the first film is. While the both the films were centred around The Bride getting her revenge by killing Bill, the final scene with Bill was quite surprisingly less violent.
6. Pulp Fiction
1994 | Crime, Drama
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Quentin Tarantino, Uma Thurman, John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson and more.
IMDb Ratings: 8.9/10
A follow up to Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction is an improved film in almost every aspect. The violence can also be called as an improvement to the former. It is much more brutal, pervasive and bloody. It is bold and doesn’t hold back. A landmark film in its era, Pulp Fiction contains three different stories woven together, with strange but unique timeline.
5. Once upon a time in hollywood
2019 | Comedy, Drama
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, Sharon Tate, Charles Manson, Dakota Fanning and more.
IMDb Ratings: 7.6/10
It is unusual to put this so high in this list, even above Pulp Fiction. But there are reasons for that. Though the violence in this film is limited to only couple of scenes, especially the famous ‘mansion murders’; it still deserves this spot. Most of the film is without any violence at all. It is a rich movie about Hollywood’s bygone era and is a great buddy movie. But what makes this film land on this place, apparently above more violent films, is the before said scene. That particular scene might perhaps be Tarantino’s most shockingly violent scene in his entire filmography! It is bloody, depraved, evil and extremely brutal. It’s a sudden burst of maddening violence, which you surely didn’t see it coming.
4. Inglorious Basterds
2009 | War, Action
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Waltz, Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger and more.
IMDb Ratings: 8.9/10
Tarantino gets all the liberty use his violence in this revisionist war film. A bunch of soldiers unite to kill leaders of Nazi regime, with the help of a cinema theatre owner. Since it is a war movie, it has the liberty to get bloody and it indeed does get bloody. The body kill in this film tops Tarantino’s filmography. The people get bashed by baseball bat, a character getting swastika carved on his head, Nazis getting burnt alive. Its a complete mess, in a good way.
3. The Hateful Eight
2015 | Western, Drama
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Quentin Tarantino, Kurt Russell, Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins and more.
IMDb Ratings: 7.8/10
While most of the violence in this film can be said to be cartoonish or over the top. It is impactful and gratuitous nonetheless. It is Tarantino getting closest in making a horror film. With ominous ambience throughout, with a magnificent score, this films is quiet and tense till nearly half of the film and in later half bursts into depraved fit of violence. It is bloody and mean affair throughout. It uses insane of amount of bloody and gore, right after the next to films.
2. Kill Bill
2003 | Action, Crime
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, David Carradine, Daryl Hannah Vivica A Fox and more
IMDb Ratings: 8.1/10
Kill Bill shocked the world with its savage violence. Its too much even for Tarantino standard. After escaping the hospital, The Bride goes wild with revenge not sparing anyone who comes in her way. She ruthlessly kills any one who dares to come between her revenge. And more so the ones who she is seeking to revenge from. Whilst this film is only half of the entire story, it contains most or nearly all of the violence. With her Hatari Hanzo sword which is as a brutal weapon as it can get to achieve one’s revenge. It really isn’t clean. Its bloody and painful. The most memorable scene is involving beheading and killing O-ren’s men at the end of the movie. With dozens and dozens of killings with bare sword. One can only imagine its savagery!
1. Django Unchained
2012 | Western
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Cast: Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Fox, Samuel L. Jackson and more
IMDb Ratings: 8.4/10
By far QT’s most violent film. Its also his most stylized and depriving. Its his version of slavery in civil war period in America. A freed slave is in search of his wife, and in his journey witnesses brutalities of slave owners. The film involves countless numbers of violent scenes, including fight between two slaves using only their hands until their death to entertain their masters. One scene involves a merciless act of slave owner setting his dogs to eat a man alive. Its extremely brutal scene. Their are tons of other scenes which makes their presence in this film, but none tops the end gun war at the end. Its by far most violent of Tarantino film!
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