Fire And Blood: Matt Donato’s Top 10 Movies Of 2015

6) The Hateful Eight

Can we get one thing straight? The Hateful Eight is not misogynistic – if anything, it’s quite the opposite. 9.99 times out of 10, the character of Daisy Domergue would be a man, yet Quentin Tarantino sees no gender gap. Woman have the same propensity to be villainous, no-good scoundrels who represent the scum of the Earth, but filmmakers are afraid to show such brutality – thankfully, QT is no such flake.

Without Jennifer Jason Leigh, who gives one of the film’s best performances, The Hateful Eight would be just another Western. You wanted equal gender representation in film, and you got it – the violence is not the focal point here, and if anything, Leigh’s taste for blood only makes her presence even more commanding. If you think Daisy’s only purpose is to be viciously, sadistically beaten by Kurt Russell’s character, then you’re missing the point. Or just love playing the role of PC police.

Sorry, needed that out of my system.

The Hateful Eight is part Reservoir Dogs, part Django Unchained, and all Tarantino. It contains some of his most explosive, pulpy violence, his biggest personalities, and unwieldiest monologues. An introductory overture slowly introduces us to Ennio Morricone’s pitch-perfect score, and an intermission separates two halves of film at the most opportune time – a surprise that no one should have spoiled.

Samuel L. Jackson entertains, Walton Goggins stuns, and Tim Roth does his best Christoph Waltz impression as the entire cast makes the most of their screen time. Fans of Tarantino will go gaga for this dastardly winter wonderland, and they should.

Three-and-a-half hours never felt so breezy…