While these days there aren’t too many Westerns hitting the big screens, especially compared to last century, there are still some standout titles bringing the guts, glory, and gloom of gunslingers, outlaws, and frontiersman to modern audiences. One of the best Netflix original movies is a Western, and a neo-Western dominated the Oscars in 2007. Another modern masterpiece in the genre is Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, with an all-star cast including Kurt Russell, Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins, Michael Madsen, and more. The slow-burning, nail-biting drama largely takes place in a single location as the titular eight, a mixture of cowboys, outlaws, bounty hunters, and ex-soldiers on both sides of the Civil War are trapped together in a small rest stop during a huge blizzard.
While the movie is currently only available to rent on platforms like YouTube and Amazon Prime, the Western will arrive on Tubi on November 1. Tubi is a completely free service that doesn’t even require an account, and is supported by occasional ad-breaks during play. Some other Westerns are also joining The Hateful Eight, including the 2016 remake of the similarly titled The Magnificent Seven, and Best Picture-winning Dances With Wolves.
The Hateful Eight Had Some Critics, And Plenty of Fans
Like many of Tarantino’s films, The Hateful Eight courted controversy with its depictions of violence and racism; The New York Times in particular called out the film for it’s heavy-handed attempt to dissect racism in America and the repeated abuse the sole female character receives. Others praised the film for its intensity and suspense in such a restricted location.
The Hateful Eight was called a “Western Masterpiece” by MovieWeb, the 7th best Modern Spaghetti Western by Collider, and one of the 25 Greatest Westerns of All Time by Yardbreaker. It also featured in the Top 10 Movies of The Year list on publications like The Hollywood Reporter, The A.V. Club, and Variety; not bad for a modern Western, and definitely not bad for something available for free in the near future.
Next: 2007 Josh Brolin Film, Turned Down by Heath Ledger, Named Best Western of the 21st Century
