Is This Quentin Tarantino's Worst Film Of All Time?
Quentin Tarantino films are easy to pick out of a lineup, because they are straight-up saturated in the writer/director's unique filmmaking style. He built an entire career atop punchy dialogue, stylized action, 1970s-inspired dance numbers — and, most importantly, making totally unique and genre-bending movies.
Over the last 30 years, the auteur has provided us with a handful of the most iconic movie moments in history and told some of the bloodiest, most stylistic, and compelling stories in modern cinema. Think about the phrase "Royale with cheese" from "Pulp Fiction," or the interrogation on the milk farm from "Inglourious Basterds." Pretty much every film he has directed has left an indelible impression on the moviemaking industry, earning him one of the most critically-acclaimed careers in the history of Hollywood.
But not all of Tarantino's films are home runs. There's one particular installment that rests comfortably at the bottom of his filmography.
Death Proof is Tarantino's worst film (by several measures)
2007's "Death Proof" is the story of Stuntman Mike McKay (played by Kurt Russell), a psychotic stunt driver who murders people with his car. It's gory, it's sexy, and it is unashamedly 100-percent Tarantino.
But according to Box Office Mojo, the film's initial run grossed just $31 million worldwide – less than every Tarantino movie ever (except for "Reservoir Dogs," which, to be fair, didn't get an international release during its 1992 theatrical run). It was even outpaced by "Jackie Brown," which earned only $40 million back in 1997.
Unlike "Reservoir Dogs" and "Jackie Brown" — which both achieved cult fandom outside of theaters, despite their modest earnings — "Death Proof" is one of the lowest-earning Tarantino films and the lowest-rated. According to IMDb, which aggregates public opinions about movies (and then expresses those opinions on a scale of 1 to 10), "Death Proof" currently stands at an even 7.0.
On a scale of 10, a seven might sound downright respectable, but it's a full half-point lower than the 7.5 awarded to "Jackie Brown," and almost two points behind the 8.9 awarded to "Pulp Fiction."
Look, "Death Proof" isn't a bad film, but the company it keeps and the Tarantino name on the front of the poster — certainly aren't doing it any favors. But don't take our word for it. Tarantino, himself, has called "Death Proof" his worst film, so who are we to disagree?