Quentin Tarantino is one of his generation’s most influential and celebrated filmmakers in Hollywood. His filmmaking style is as polarizing as it is iconic. Tarantino is known for his unapologetic use of violence, razor-sharp dialogue, and references to pop culture, also often paying homage to cinema’s past. The filmmaker was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, on March 27, 1963, and developed an interest in films at an early age.
Quentin Tarantino began his career as a video store clerk at the now-defunct video rental store Video Archives. The experience helped him develop an encyclopedic film knowledge, shaping his unique cinematic vision. While critics and fans laud his projects for its originality and artistic merit, Tarantino’s career has not been without its fair share of controversies. He has faced criticism for his liberal use of racial slurs, excessive gore, and depictions of women in his films. Despite these challenges, Tarantino’s films have largely been successful at the Box Office. Here’s how all 10 of Quentin Tarantino’s feature-length films performed at the Box Office.
10. Reservoir Dogs — $2.9 Million
The 1992 crime film Reservoir Dogs was Quentin Tarantino’s feature directorial debut. Having also written its screenplay, Reservoir Dogs was critically acclaimed and eventually became a cult classic. The gritty crime thriller starred Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, and Lawrence Tierney. The film’s plot revolves around the aftermath of a botched diamond heist.
It focuses on a group of criminals, all assigned color-coded aliases. Although the heist is never shown, the story unfolds nonlinearly, revealing the events leading up to and following the failed robbery. Having been produced on an estimated $1.2–3 million budget, Reservoir Dogs performed moderately at the Box Office, grossing $2.9 million. Unsurprisingly, as his directorial debut, Reservoir Dogs is Quentin Tarantino’s lowest-grossing film.
9. Death Proof — $31.1 Million
Death Proof (2007) was created as a homage to 1970s exploitation films. The film blends elements of slasher horror and high-octane car chases. Death Proof follows a psychopathic stuntman, Mike McKay (Kurt Russell), who uses his “death proof” stunt car as a weapon to stalk and kill women. The film is divided into two parts, each focusing on a different group of women.
After successfully killing the first group of women, the second group involved a stunt woman, Zoë Bell (who played herself). Mike soon discovers this group is tougher and more resourceful, ultimately turning the tables on him in a thrilling and cathartic car chase that subverts the typical slasher genre formula. Although critical reviews were generally above average, Death Proof bombed at the Box Office. With earnings of $31.1 million against its $30 million budget, Death Proof is one of Quentin Tarantino’s underperforming films.
8. Jackie Brown — $74.7 Million
Known for its slower pacing and character-driven narrative, the 1997 Jackie Brown movie is often regarded as a more mature and understated entry in Tarantino’s filmography. Tarantino adapted the film’s screenplay from Elmore Leonard’s 1992 novel Rum Punch. It tells the story of Jackie Brown (Pam Grier), a middle-aged flight attendant working for a small airline. Jackie supplements her income by smuggling money for Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson), a dangerous arms dealer.
After she’s caught by federal agents, Jackie devises a cunning plan to outwit the federal agents and Ordell to secure her freedom. Jackie enlists the help of Max Cherry (Robert Forster), a sympathetic bail bondsman romantically drawn to her. Together, they orchestrate a high-stake scheme involving a money swap and a series of double-crosses. Jackie Brown also starred Bridget Fonda, Michael Keaton, Robert De Niro, and Chris Tucker. The film was a critical and commercial success, grossing $74.7 million against its $12 million production budget.
7. Kill Bill: Volume 2 — $152.2 Million
Quentin Tarantino’s next highest-grossing film is his 2004 sequel Kill Bill: Volume 2. It is the second installment in the epic revenge saga centered on “The Bride” (Uma Thurman). She, a former assassin, seeks retribution against her old comrades. The sequel picks up where Volume 1 left off, continuing the quest to eliminate the remaining Deadly Viper Assassination Squad members. Unlike the first volume’s action-heavy sequences, Kill Bill: Volume 2 delves deeper into the characters’ backstories. Like its predecessor, Kill Bill: Volume 2 was a Box Office success. It grossed an impressive $152.2 million from its $30 million budget.
6. The Hateful Eight — $156.5 Million
The 2015 Western film The Hateful Eight had a star-studded cast comprising Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, Channing Tatum, and Zoë Bell. Set in post-Civil War Wyoming during a harsh winter, the story revolves around a group of strangers trapped in Minnie’s Haberdashery, a remote stagecoach lodge. As the storm rages outside, tensions and suspicions simmer among the eclectic group of characters. This eventually leads to an intense and bloody showdown.
5. Kill Bill: Volume 1 — $180.9 Million
The first installment in the Kill Bill film series, Kill Bill: Volume 1, outgrossed its sequel with about $30 million. Volume 1 is a stylistic tour de force, blending elements of spaghetti western, grindhouse films, and samurai cinema. The movie was also praised for its dynamic fight sequences, vibrant visuals, and memorable musical score. Volume 1 opens with The Bride’s rehearsal for her wedding. After the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, led by Bill (David Carradine), shoots and leaves the Bride for dead, she awakens from a four-year coma seeking revenge. Kill Bill: Volume 1 grossed $180.9 million from a similar $30 million budget.
4. Pulp Fiction — $213.9 Million
The 1994 crime film Pulp Fiction was Quentin Tarantino’s sophomore feature film. The movie is known for its nonlinear narrative structure, unforgettable characters, and razor-sharp dialogue. Its plot follows the lives of two hitmen, Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson), their mob boss Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames), his wife Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman), and other eccentric characters.
Its nonlinear story unfolds by jumping back and forth in time. Eventually, these threads come together in surprising and often ironic ways. This creates a tapestry of morally ambiguous choices and moments of unexpected humanity. Pulp Fiction not only beat the sophomore slump but helped position Quentin Tarantino as one of Hollywood’s greatest filmmakers.
3. Inglourious Basterds — $321.5 Million
Another star-studded Quentin Tarantino’s film is his 2009 black comedy war movie Inglourious Basterds. The film primarily follows two converging plots to assassinate key Nazi leaders, including Adolf Hitler. One storyline focuses on Shoshanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent), a Jewish French woman who escapes a massacre by Nazi Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz). Shoshanna later ran a cinema in Paris in which she secretly plans to burn down during a Nazi film premiere, killing high-ranking officials at the cinema.
The other storyline revolves around a group of Jewish-American soldiers, the Besterds, led by the charismatic Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt). The Besterds collaborate with British intelligence and a German actress-turned-spy, Bridget Von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger), to execute a plot to bomb Shoshanna’s cinema. Grossing $321.5 million at the Box Office, Inglourious Basterds is Quentin Tarantino’s third highest-grossing film.
2. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood — $377.6 Million
As of 2025, the 2019 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is Quentin Tarantino’s last directed feature-length film. The film was created as a nostalgic tribute to Hollywood’s Golden Age. It is set in 1960 Los Angeles, a time of cultural shifts in the entertainment industry. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood follows two main characters: Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), a fading television actor struggling to transition into movies, and Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), his loyal stunt double and best friend. Although they remain the film’s central characters, other characters’ subplot is interwoven into their story. With Box Office earnings of $377.6 million against its $90–96 million production budget, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is Quentin Tarantino’s second highest-grossing film.
1. Django Unchained — $426 Million
The 2012 Django Unchained is Quentin Tarantino’s most controversial project on the big screen. However, it sits comfortably as the filmmaker’s highest-grossing film, with Box Office earnings of $426 million. With a production budget of $100 million, it is also Tarantino’s most expensive film. Django Unchained is a revisionist Western film with a bold exploration of slavery, vengeance, and redemption. The film follows Django (Jamie Foxx), an enslaved man freed by Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), a German bounty hunter.
Their partnership evolved into a friendship, with Schultz agreeing to assist Django in rescuing his wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), from the clutches of the sadistic plantation owner, Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). Although critics debated the use of racial slurs and graphic depictions of violence, nonetheless, Django Unchained was critically acclaimed. In addition to Quentin Tarantino’s highest-grossing films, check out director Ridley Scott’s highest-grossing films.
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