Quentin Tarantino on Screen: His Major Writing and Directing Credits Ranked from Least to Most Essential

10/12/20266 min read

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This ranking considers Quentin Tarantino’s major feature-film contributions as a writer, director, or both. It does not attempt to catalogue every cameo, acting appearance, producer credit, television project, or uncompleted screenplay. Collaborative writing credits and films developed partly from Tarantino’s original material are included when they clarify his influence. The order reflects critical reputation, originality, consistency, influence, audience response, cultural impact, and the strength of Tarantino’s specific contribution. It runs from least essential to most accomplished, not simply from commercial failure to financial success.

My Best Friend’s Birthday (1987) is the unfinished black-and-white comedy about a man trying to repair his friend’s disastrous birthday, with Tarantino writing, directing, and starring alongside Craig Hamann and Alison Anders. Its surviving footage has circulated only intermittently, making availability and audience data limited. IMDb has generally listed it at about 6.8/10; no reliable worldwide gross is recorded, and it has won no major awards.

True Romance (1993) follows Clarence (Christian Slater) and Alabama (Patricia Arquette) as they flee with stolen cocaine while gangsters pursue them. Tarantino wrote the screenplay, but Tony Scott directed; the principal cast also includes Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken, Gary Oldman, and Brad Pitt. Its IMDb rating is approximately 7.8, worldwide box office about $12.3 million, and major-award wins are generally counted as zero.

Natural Born Killers (1994) depicts serial-killer couple Mickey and Mallory Knox, played by Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis, pursued by Tom Sizemore’s detective and sensationalized by Robert Downey Jr.’s journalist. Tarantino wrote the original screenplay, while Oliver Stone substantially revised and directed the film. It rates about 7.2 on IMDb, grossed approximately $110 million worldwide, and is commonly credited with five major award wins, depending on the databases consulted.

Four Rooms (1995) is an anthology set in a hotel on New Year’s Eve. Tarantino wrote and directed only “The Man from Hollywood,” starring Tim Roth, Bruce Willis, Jennifer Beals, and Tarantino himself; he did not direct the entire film. IMDb lists roughly 6.7, worldwide gross is about $4.3 million, and major-award wins are generally zero. Figures can shift as IMDb scores change and sources define “major awards” differently.

4. From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

Written by Tarantino; directed by Robert Rodriguez. George Clooney and Tarantino play fugitive brothers who take a family hostage while crossing into Mexico, with Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis, and Salma Hayek in major roles. The film’s IMDb rating is 7.2/10; it earned approximately $25.8 million domestically and $59.3 million worldwide. Its awards record is modest: the IMDb awards listing records six wins and nine nominations, including genre and technical recognition. The movie’s abrupt movement from criminal road thriller to vampire exploitation spectacle makes it a revealing early experiment, though its tonal excesses place it below Tarantino’s most controlled work.

3. Death Proof (2007)

Written and directed by Tarantino. Kurt Russell, Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito, Rose McGowan, and Zoë Bell lead two groups of women whose encounters with a stuntman’s customized car gradually become a suspenseful revenge narrative. It holds a 7.0 IMDb rating and made about $25.0 million in North America and $31.1 million worldwide. The IMDb awards tally lists five wins and twelve nominations, primarily from genre, festival, and critics’ organizations. As Tarantino’s contribution to Grindhouse, the film deliberately imitates exploitation cinema through damaged-film textures, extended dialogue, stunt work, and a fragmented structure. Its formal commitment is more interesting than its commercial performance.

2. The Hateful Eight (2015)

Written and directed by Tarantino. Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, and Tim Roth anchor an ensemble western in which strangers shelter from a blizzard while suspicion intensifies. The film is rated 7.8 on IMDb, with approximately $54.1 million domestic and $156.1 million worldwide. Its IMDb awards listing records 43 wins and 101 nominations; Ennio Morricone’s Oscar win should be distinguished from the film’s broader critics’ and festival recognition. The enclosed setting turns dialogue into psychological combat and extends Tarantino’s revisionist treatment of western violence. Its deliberate pace and intricate mystery make it less immediately accessible, but its ambition is substantial.

1. Jackie Brown (1997)

Adapted and directed by Tarantino. Based on Elmore Leonard’s Rum Punch, it follows a flight attendant, played by Pam Grier, caught between arms dealer Samuel L. Jackson and federal agents, with Robert Forster, Bridget Fonda, and Michael Keaton completing the principal cast. Rated 7.5 on IMDb, it grossed about $39.7 million domestically and $74.7 million worldwide. The IMDb awards record lists twelve wins and 23 nominations, including Grier’s Golden Globe nomination. Its mature performances, nonlinear crime storytelling, and dialogue-driven suspense demonstrate Tarantino’s expanding range, making it the strongest middle-tier entry despite earning less than his later event films.

This subjective top tier ranks Tarantino’s most defining achievements; alternative lists may place Reservoir Dogs or Jackie Brown higher. Figures below use IMDb ratings and Box Office Mojo worldwide totals, checked October 2026; ratings fluctuate and grosses vary by source.

Pulp Fiction (1994)—writer-director, starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, and Harvey Keitel—interweaves several crime stories out of chronological order. Its IMDb rating is 8.9/10 and worldwide gross approximately $214 million. It won the Palme d’Or, the Academy Award for Original Screenplay, and Golden Globe and BAFTA screenplay honors. Its fractured structure, extended conversations, cultural references, music, and sudden violence remain unusually influential.

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003, IMDb 8.2; about $181 million) and Vol. 2 (2004, IMDb 8.0; about $155 million) are separate releases but one revenge saga. Tarantino wrote and directed both; Uma Thurman leads alongside David Carradine, Lucy Liu, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah, and Vivica A. Fox. The Bride’s recovery and pursuit of former colleagues unfold with minimal spoilers. The films’ principal recognition includes Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations and major critics’ prizes. Their ranking rests on martial arts, anime, exploitation, western, and revenge-cinema synthesis; treating them as one work would strengthen their case.

Inglourious Basterds (2009)—writer-director, with Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Mélanie Laurent, and Michael Fassbender—imagines an alternate Nazi-occupied Europe (IMDb 8.4; $321 million). It won Waltz the Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Cannes acting prize. Multilingual tension, historical revisionism, and dialogue-driven suspense make it essential.

Django Unchained (2012), written and directed by Tarantino, stars Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Samuel L. Jackson (IMDb 8.5; $426 million). Its revisionist western confronts slavery through revenge fantasy; it won the Academy Award and Golden Globe for screenplay and Waltz’s supporting-actor prizes.

Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019)—writer-director, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie—portrays late-1960s Los Angeles, celebrity, and changing cinema (IMDb 7.6; $377 million). Pitt won the Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Critics’ Choice supporting-actor awards. Across all six, nonlinear storytelling, iconic music, interconnected casts, stylized violence, and genre revisionism explain their high placement.

Comparison and final verdict

The comparison below treats an award as a competitive win, not a nomination. Box-office figures are approximate reported totals and can vary by source; IMDb ratings were retrieved on October 12, 2026, and may change.

1987 — My Best Friend’s Birthday: writer/director; unfinished comedy starring Tarantino and Craig Hamann; IMDb unavailable; no reliable theatrical gross; no major wins or nominations; rank 11.

1993 — True Romance: writer; director Tony Scott; Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Dennis Hopper; IMDb 7.9; domestic $12.3m, international $0.2m, worldwide $12.5m; no major wins, one major nomination; rank 7.

1994 — Natural Born Killers: credited writer, although his rewritten and disputed relationship to the finished film warrants caution; director Oliver Stone; Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Robert Downey Jr.; IMDb 7.2; domestic $50.3m, international $61.8m, worldwide $112.1m; one major win and several nominations; rank 9.

1995 — Four Rooms: co-writer and director of one segment; anthology directed by Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell, and Robert Rodriguez; Tim Roth, Antonio Banderas, Madonna; IMDb 6.7; worldwide about $4.3m; no major wins or nominations; rank 10.

1994 — Pulp Fiction: writer/director; John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman; IMDb 8.9; domestic $107.9m, international $106.2m, worldwide $214.1m; one Oscar win and seven Oscar nominations, plus major festival wins; rank 1.

1997 — Jackie Brown: writer/director; Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Forster; IMDb 7.5; worldwide $74.7m; no Oscar wins, one major nomination; rank 5.

2003–04 — Kill Bill Volumes 1–2: writer/director, presented as two films; Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Lucy Liu; IMDb 8.2 and 8.0; combined worldwide about $333m; major nominations but no competitive Oscar wins; rank 3.

2007 — Death Proof: writer/director, released within the Grindhouse double feature; Kurt Russell, Rosario Dawson, Zoe Bell; IMDb 7.0; worldwide about $31m; no major wins or nominations; rank 8.

2009 — Inglourious Basterds: writer/director; Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Mélanie Laurent; IMDb 8.4; worldwide $321.5m; one Oscar win and eight nominations; rank 2.

2012 — Django Unchained: writer/director; Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio; IMDb 8.5; worldwide $426.1m; two Oscars from five nominations; rank 4.

2015 — The Hateful Eight: writer/director; Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh; IMDb 7.8; worldwide $156.5m; one Oscar win and three nominations; rank 6.

2019 — Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: writer/director; Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie; IMDb 7.6; worldwide $377.6m; two Oscars from ten nominations; rank 3 (tie in this broader legacy assessment).

Tarantino’s writing for other directors produced his strongest screenplay contribution in True Romance, while Pulp Fiction remains his defining directing achievement and most influential film. Django Unchained is the biggest commercial success, Natural Born Killers the most divisive, and Pulp Fiction the best starting point for a new viewer. Overall, his personally directed films demonstrate greater authorial control, but the outside-directed screenplays prove that his voice could remain powerful beyond his own camera. Least to best: My Best Friend’s Birthday, Four Rooms, Natural Born Killers, Death Proof, True Romance, The Hateful Eight, Jackie Brown, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Kill Bill, Django Unchained, Inglourious Basterds, Pulp Fiction.

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