Netflix is About to Lose Both Versions of One of Tarantino’s Best Movies

Quentin Tarantino has no shortage of box office hits, with both mainstream and cult-classic favorites to his name, like Pulp Fiction, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Reservoir Dogs, and Kill Bill—and that’s just scratching the surface. But one of his films, which was actually split into two separate versions, is set to leave Netflix at the end of the month. 

The Hateful Eight boasts an incredibly stacked cast, with names like Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Walton Goggins. The film centers around bounty hunter John “The Hangman” Ruth (Russell) and his fugitive prisoner (Jason Leigh) as they make their way toward the town of Red Rock, Wyoming. The duo encounters another bounty hunter (Jackson) and a man who claims to be a sheriff. In an attempt to find protection from a raging blizzard, the group travels to a stopover in a mountain pass. There, they meet four strangers, and the now eight travelers discover that they may not make it to their destination at all.

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The movie performed slightly better than middling with critics and audiences, bringing in a 74% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer, and a marginally better 77% on the Popcornmeter. It’s typical Tarantino, with sharp dialogue and over-the-top violence in his signature style. “When looking at Tarantino’s filmography, The Hateful Eight doesn’t hold a candle to works like Pulp Fiction or Kill Bill, but it’s an entertaining film nonetheless—if you don’t mind the runtime,” says John Brhel of Vague Visages. Josh Parham of Next Best Picture countered that with a 9 out of 10 stars, saying, “Tarantino manages to strike the delicate balance of keeping the intimacy of a stage while still infusing the material with enough cinematic flourishes to keep it from feeling too constrained.”

Audiences generally have the same view of the movie. One viewer gave it 5 out of 5 stars, saying, “The Hateful Eight is a tense, stylish Western thriller filled with sharp dialogue, great performances, and Tarantino’s signature suspense. You have to watch and listen very closely to understand what’s really going on—it feels almost like an inspector-style mystery.” Another gave it 2.5 stars, adding, “This might be the weakest edition to Tarantino’s filmography. I didn’t find myself caring for any of the characters, and I only really became interested in the movie during the last 30 minutes of runtime. There are much better Tarantinos, and much better mysteries.”

The Hateful Eight leaves Netflix on January 25th.

Do you think The Hateful Eight measures up to Tarantino’s other movies? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the ComicBook forums to see what other Tarantino fans are saying.