The Hateful Eight

In the dead of a Wyoming winter, a bounty hunter and his prisoner find shelter in a cabin currently inhabited by a collection of nefarious characters.

Why it stayed with me

It is a containment exercise: one cabin, poisonous characters, and the expectation that everyone may be doomed. The entertainment comes from watching pressure accumulate.

Key points

• Limited scenery can create theatrical intensity.
• Suspicion is the real weather of the film.
• Tarantino keeps attention through structure more than movement.

Film details

• Director: Quentin Tarantino
• Year: 2015
• Genres: Crime, Drama, Mystery
• Runtime: 168 min
• Personal rating: 7/10
• IMDb: tt3460252

Cast notes

Main cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh.