Death Proof is an overlooked hidden gem of a movie. Directed by Quentin Tarantino, this movie deserves to be revisited again and again! I overlooked it for far too long, and I really don’t have an excuse either. I love Quentin Tarantino films, so why would I skip one? Well, whatever the reasons, if you are a fan of his work, this is a must-see. Released in 2007, the movie follows a stunt driver that stalks women to kill them in his “Death Proof” car. The movie stars Kurt Russel, from The Hateful Eight and Big Trouble in Little China, as the stunt driver, as well as Rosario Dawson, from the Marvel Netflix series.
The Good
What’s not to like here? Quentin is known for creating some of the best-written dialogue in all of cinema and this movie is no exception. Every character feels very real and the banter between them is gripping and witty. There are two scenes that come to mind in particular which showcase this the best. The first is when Stuntman Mike convinces Butterfly to give him a lapdance. The way he delivers his lines is second to none. The other is when the four actresses are getting brunch in the diner and swapping stories. This scene in particular sets up a particularly perfect payoff later on in the film.
Another aspect of Quentin Tarantino’s films that fans have come to love and enjoy is his brutal and exaggerated violence and gore. By no means is this his most violent film. In fact, I expected it to be much more graphic since it’s paying homage to low-budget grindhouse films. Regardless this movie delivers the goods. Not to mention, as is typical for Quentin we got strong female characters and the final payoff at the end is poetic perfection.
The Bad
There really isn’t much bad I can say about this movie. I will say there is one specific action sequence towards the end where I kept scratching my head and saying, “ah come on just do this! Why aren’t they just doing this?” Don’t get me wrong, the scene ends in a great fashion, but it feels like it could have been choreographed a little bit more sensibly. Other than that though, this movie really doesn’t have too much to scoff at.
Death Proof Score
Alright, so my final verdict. I’m giving Death Proof a 7 out of 10. Why not higher? Well, for me that one scene I referred to above really took me out of it. Yes, the scene has a really good payoff, but it really annoyed me until then. Otherwise, the characters are all fantastic, they all felt very human. I loved Kurt Russel and how Quentin shifts your perspective of him so masterfully. This is definitely a top recommendation from me if you are ok with a more violent film.
What do you guys think? Have you seen the movie? What are your thoughts?
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