Key Takeaways
- Tarantino’s films fall into two mini-universes: Realer than Real and Movie Movie, linking characters and stories.
- The TCU operates uniquely, with connected films weaving a larger story that spans across different time periods.
- From Django Unchained to Kill Bill to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Tarantino creates an interconnected cinematic universe.
Quentin Tarantino is perhaps the most critically acclaimed director of our generation. His films tend to be standalone features filled with violence and adult content. They’re box office smashes that only properties like Marvel could rival. While, at first glance, Tarantino’s movies don’t have much in common with the summery popcorn hits of the MCU or even the Star Wars Universe, there is one way they are similar: They’re all part of a cinematic universe of interconnected films that weave together a larger story.
There are two separate mini-universes that Tarantino’s films fall into, called Realer than Real and Movie Movie.
The TCU, or the Tarantino Cinematic Universe, is an official thing. It’s something Tarantino talked about in the past. His films have connections that bind them together. At the same time, the TCU operates differently than most cinematic worlds. For instance, there are two separate mini-universes that Tarantino’s films fall into, called Realer than Real and Movie Movie.
Here is how Tarantino describes Realer than Real and Movie Movie: “There’s the Realer than Real Universe, alright, and all the characters inhabit that one. But then there’s this Movie universe. . . From Dusk Till Dawn, Kill Bill, they all take place in this special Movie universe. So, basically, when the characters of Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction, when they go to the movies, Kill Bill is what they go to see. From Dusk Till Dawn is what they see.”
Tarantino recently scrapped a film that sounds like it would’ve explored this concept much more. The Movie Critic, was slated to be Tarantino’s 10th and final film, until it was unceremoniously scrapped before filming was slated to start later this year. The film was supposed to center around a film critic in the late 1970s of Tarantino’s Realer than Real universe that would’ve interacted with characters from previous Tarantino movies, including Brad Pitt’s character Cliff Booth from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The Hollywood Reporter even shared a rumor that Tom Cruise was in talks to appear in the film.
We’ve broken down the best TCU viewing order, with films from the Realer than Real Universe and Movie Movie Universe. Tarantino has either written, produced, or directed all these movies. (Our order leaves out Jackie Brown because it’s the only film he based on prior source material.)
WARNING: THERE ARE SPOILERS BELOW.
The Nolanverse: How to watch Christopher Nolan’s movies in order
In the Nolanverse, scientists deal with the fallout of their creations — forming a link between Oppenheimer, Tenet, Inception, and Interstellar.
The Realer than Real Universe
The Realer than Real Universe is essentially Taratino’s re-telling of US history. The movies in this universe feature stories with alternate histories, if you will. For instance, the character of Django starts a slave rebellion in the film Django, but he does so a full two years before the Civil War even starts. In Inglourious Basterds, Hitler is murdered in 1944 instead of committing suicide a year later.
And, in Once Upon a time… in Hollywood, the Manson murderers show up at character Rick Dalton’s house rather than Sharon Tate’s. This all leads to the present day — a more comfortable time with violence — with films like Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs.
Django Unchained
Django escapes slavery and sets out to find his wife
Django Unchained (2012)
Jamie Foxx stars as Django, a man who escaped from slavery and must venture back into the South in order to free his wife.
- Director
- Quentin Tarantino
- Writers
- Quentin Tarantino
- Starring
- Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio
- Run Time
- 165 minutes
Django Unchained is about Django, naturally, who is played by Jamie Foxx. In the film, we see Django freed from slavery by the bounty hunter King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), and the two begin to work together before they agree to head to Candyland, a plantation in South Carolina owned by Leonardo DiCaprio’s Calvin Candy. Here, the duo hope to free Django’s still-enslaved wife.
Placing a hero like Django at this point in US history would’ve allowed and perhaps inspired Samuel L Jackson’s character in The Hateful Eight (which is set 20 years later) to enter the career of bounty hunting.
![Spielbergverse](https://static1.pocketlintimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/1.jpg)
Spielbergverse explained: Every Steven Spielberg movie in chronological order
Here’s a chronological list of all Steven Spielberg films, including the loose connections between them that form the “Spielbergverse”.
The Hateful Eight
A group of strangers attempts to ride out a blizzard together
The Hateful Eight (2015)
A group of eight strangers, including a bounty hunter and his recently captured bounty, try to survive a deadly blizzard in 1870’s Wyoming.
- Director
- Quentin Tarantino
- Writers
- Quentin Tarantino
- Starring
- Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh
- Run Time
- 168 minutes
Sometime during the aftermath of the Civil War, John “The Hangman” Ruth, who is played by Kurt Russell, is forced into a stagecoach stopover by a blizzard. He’s with his latest catch, the outlaw Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh). While there, the pair is joined by a group of six strangers, including former Union officer Marquis Warren turned bounty hunter (Samuel L. Jackson) and Confederate militiamen turned sheriff Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins), and no one is sure who can be trusted.
There are a few subtle connections hidden in The Hateful Eight that link to other Tarantino films. The most overt is Tim Roth’s English Pete Hicox. He is related to Michael Fassbender’s character, Archie Hicox, in Inglourious Basterds.
![What is the best order to watch the Planet of the Apes movies image 1](https://static1.pocketlintimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/152430-tv-feature-what-is-the-best-order-to-watch-the-planet-of-the-apes-movies-image1-rtcjnorkmy.jpg)
How to watch all the Planet of the Apes movies in chronological order
We’ve made sense of the jumbled Planet of the Apes timeline and arranged all the movies in chronological order for you to binge. Enjoy.
Inglourious Basterds
Tarantino’s alternate ending for World War II
Inglorious Basterds (2009)
A group of Jewish soldiers terrorize Nazis in occupied France in this alternate history of World War II.
- Director
- Quentin Tarantino
- Writers
- Quentin Tarantino
- Starring
- Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Mélanie Laurent
- Run Time
- 153 minutes
A group of Jewish soldiers infiltrate Nazi-occupied France during World War II and soon learn of an upcoming movie premiere that will have the entire Nazi leadership, including Hitler, in attendance. This film sets off an alternate timeline in human history, as it shows Hitler and every other higher-up Nazi murdered in a movie theatre. This ultimately gives cinemas a type of holy reverence in the TCU, but it also leads to the American public becoming comfortable with the extreme violence and gore in films, a theme in the TCU’s Movie Movie Universe.
![Every Marvel movie and show in chronological order](https://static1.pocketlintimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/marvel-movies-in-order.jpeg)
How to watch every Marvel movie and TV show in chronological order
The Marvel Cinematic Universe began with Iron Man, but it’s not the first film you should watch chronologically. Here is the official MCU timeline.
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Hollywood’s golden age, Tarantino style
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Rick Dalton, an actor who’s struggling through a downturn in his career when the Manson Family walks through his front door.
- Director
- Quentin Tarantino
- Writers
- Quentin Tarantino
- Starring
- Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Mélanie Laurent
- Run Time
- 153 minutes
Tarantino’s latest film follows actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double, Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), during the 1960s in Hollywood. They’re both struggling, but just next door lives Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate, who, in real life, was murdered in 1969 by the Manson family.
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood feels like it could be part of our real history — aside from some minor differences in the way the 1950s and 1960s movies are pictured in the film itself. They’re shown to be loaded with violence. For instance, there’s a movie scene Dalton shoots where he torches a group of Nazi commanders with a flamethrower.
There’s a subtle detail in the Bounty Law western that makes Dalton famous, too. In that movie, Dalton plays a bounty hunter known for killing outlaws. These film roles influence Dalton and his stunt double Cliff Booth to the point where they have no problem when inflicting violence in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, especially on those who they feel deserve it.
![What Is The Best Order To Watch The X-men Movies image 1](https://static1.pocketlintimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/149551-tv-feature-what-is-the-best-order-to-watch-the-x-men-movies-image1-y5wpzep24w.jpg)
How to watch the X-Men movies in chronological order
Here’s how all the X-Men movies fit together, by order of the events that happen in the films.
True Romance
A killer couple goes on a road trip
True Romance (1993)
True Romance follows Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette as star-crossed lovers on the run to California. It was written by Tarantino, but not directed by him.
- Director
- Tony Scott
- Writers
- Quentin Tarantino
- Starring
- Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Dennis Hopper
- Run Time
- 120 minutes
True Romance is the first film on our list that was not directed by Tarantino, but the film was written by him before Tony Scott directed it. It follows Christian Slater’s Clarence as he falls in love with a hooker named Alabama. He kills her pimp, and the two of them run off to California.
The film shows an important connection between Inglourious Basterds and the overall TCU because it features a character — Lee Donowitz, played by Saul Rubinek — who is a major film producer in the story. He’s also the son of Donny Donowitz, or the Bear Jew, a character in Inglourious Basterds who killed Hitler.
![What Is The Best Order To Watch The Indiana Jones Movies And Tv Show image 1](https://static1.pocketlintimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/152113-tv-feature-what-is-the-best-order-to-watch-the-indiana-jones-movies-and-tv-show-image1-hx7zd3ilvw.jpg)
How to watch the Indiana Jones movies and TV show in order
To help you make sense of the Indiana Jones timeline, we put all his films in chronological order. We even included the TV series.
Reservoir Dogs
A bank-heist gone wrong
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Tarantino’s directorial debut follows a group of bank robbers trying to figure out who was a police informant following a heist gone wrong.
- Director
- Quentin Tarantino
- Writers
- Quentin Tarantino
- Starring
- Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen
- Run Time
- 99 minutes
This is Tarantino’s feature-length debut. It’s all about the aftermath of a heist gone wrong. Six criminals are hired by mob boss Joe Cabot to steal diamonds, but after the police arrive impossibly early, they realize there must have been an informant amongst them.
Reservoir Dogs connects to the TCU in a few different ways — the biggest of which involves a certain briefcase we’ll discuss in Pulp Fiction. But another big connection is with the previous film on our list: Mr. White mentions working with a girl named Alabama.
![Mad Max](https://static1.pocketlintimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/mad-max.jpg)
How to watch the Mad Max movies in order (and where Furiosa fits)
Here is every Mad Max movie in chronological order, so you can be prepared for the new Furiosa spin-off and know where it fits in the timeline.
Natural Born Killers
Two sadistic killers go on a rampage
Natural Born Killers (1994)
Natural Born Killers follows the crime spree and ensuing media circus caused by the psychopaths Mickey and Mallory Knox.
- Director
- Oliver Stone
- Writers
- David Veloz, Richard Rutowski, Oliver Stone (screenplay); Story by Quentin Tarantino
- Starring
- Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Robert Downey Jr.
- Run Time
- 119 minutes
Here’s another film that Tarantino wrote but didn’t direct. Natural Born Killers follows the story of Mickey (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory (Juliette Lewis), both of whom are sadistic serial killers that go on a murder spree claiming 52 victims. The film’s main connection to the TCU comes via the media and American public, making cult heroes out of serial killers, once again showing how the public is desensitized to extreme violence.
There’s also a little Easter Egg found in Tom Sizemore’s Detective Jack Scagnetti. He is related to Mr. Blonde’s parole officer, Seymour Scagnetti, in Reservoir Dogs.
![Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire](https://static1.pocketlintimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/image-5.jpg)
How to watch every Godzilla movie in order (including the MonsterVerse films)
Want to know how Godzilla x Kong: A New Empire and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters both fit into the MonsterVerse? We break it down.
Pulp Fiction
The film that won Tarantino his first Oscar
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Pulp Fiction is a star-studded saga of crime and violence that follows different characters throughout Los Angeles.
- Director
- Quentin Tarantino
- Writers
- Quentin Tarantino
- Starring
- John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson
- Runtime
- 154 minutes
Pulp Fiction tells the story of a group of unsavory characters over a few days in Los Angeles. It’s the final film in Tarantino’s Realer than Real Universe, and it also won Tarantino his first Oscar, for Best Original Screenplay. Pulp Fiction is loaded with Easter Eggs that connect it to all the other TCU movies.
For instance, John Travolta’s Vincent Vega is the brother of Michael Madsen’s Vic Vega in Reservoir Dogs. Also, the mysterious briefcase — that we never get to see inside — is apparently filled with gems from the heist in Reservoir Dogs. This film also connects to the TCU’s Movie Movie Universe, through Uma Thurman’s character of Mia Wallace and the pilot she worked on… but more on that in our Kill Bill summary, below.
![Whats the best order to watch the Alien Universe movies image 1](https://static1.pocketlintimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/151983-tv-feature-whats-the-best-order-to-watch-the-alien-universe-movies-image1-wjcevoeank.jpg)
How to watch the Alien (and Predator) movies in order
It’s pretty cool that two iconic movie monsters share the same cinematic universe. Here’ the best way to watch Alien and Blade Runner movies in order.
The Movie Movie Universe
This is where the Tarantino Cinematic Universe switches from the Realer than Real Universe to the Movie Movie Universe. All the films in Movie Movie Universe are about things that characters in the Realer than Real Universe would go to see during a night out to the movies.
Characters in these movies aren’t directly connected; no random relatives pop up in different movies, as we saw with the Vega, Donowitz, and Scagnetti characters in the Realer than Real universe. Instead, the films are connected through TCU Easter eggs (like the mention of a Big Kahuna Burger in Death Proof, or a character smoking Red Apple cigarettes in From Dusk till Dawn and Planet Terror).
They’re also a departure from reality. They’re movies packed with vampires and zombies and Uma Thurman successfully fighting through 88 people with a Katana. There is, however, one distinct way that films in the Movie Movie Universe connect to the Realer than Real Universe.
Is Mia Wallace in Pulp Fiction actually Beatrix in Kill Bill? We’ll get to that.
Dusk till Dawn
Tarantino and George Clooney kidnap a family and drag them to a vampire bar
From Dusk Til Dawn (1996)
From Dusk Til Dawn sees a pair of outlaws kidnap a family and force them across the Mexican border before the end up a bar staffed by vampires.
- Director
- Robert Rodriguez
- Writers
- Quentin Tarantino
- Starring
- George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Harvey Keitel
- Run Time
- 108 minutes
Quentin Tarantino wrote and starred in this film directed by Robert Rodriguez. It follows the Gecko Brothers — Seth (George Clooney) and Richard (Tarantino) — who are attempting to flee the country. They abduct the Fuller family and attempt to use them to sneak across the Mexican border. But once they make it to the bar where they’re supposed to meet their contact, they find it infested with vampires.
There are two sequels to this film, and they’re technically on this movie order list, but they aren’t required viewing, From Dusk till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money, and From Dusk till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter. Tarantino’s production company, A Band Apart, produced both, and they’re supposed to serve as films that Vic Vega in Reservoir Dogs would go see when he’s not severing off ears.
![scream movies and order feature image](https://static1.pocketlintimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/wm/2024/01/scream-movies-and-order-feature-image.jpg)
How to watch all the Scream movies and the TV show in order
Now that the sixth installment has arrived and there are already talks of a seventh, it’s the perfect time to catch up on the iconic Scream franchise.
Grindhouse: Death Proof and Planet Terror
An old school double feature
Grindhouse: Death Proof and Planet Terror (2007)
Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino joined forces, each creating one film, for an ode to classic drive-in double features.
- Director
- Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez
- Writers
- Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez
- Starring
- Kurt Russell, Rosario Dawson, Josh Brolin
- Run Time
- 105 minutes (Planet Terror) and 113 minutes (Death Proof)
Tarantino wrote and directed Death Proof. It tells the story of Mike (Kurt Russell), a stuntperson who murders women by getting into accidents with his car, which has been retrofitted to protect him from violent impacts. But Mike meets his match in the form of Zoe, a stuntwoman played by Zoe Bell, and friends.
Tarantino also served as a producer on Planet Terror. It’s a Robert Rodriguez film, released alongside Death Proof as a double feature known collectively as Grindhouse. They were both designed to resemble old-school exploitation films. Planet Terror specifically focused on what happens after the release of a deadly toxin, called Project Terror, which turns the residents of a small Texas town into blood-crazed zombies.
Tarantino himself has said Grindhouse is in the Movie Movie Universe. It’s not explicitly clear how — other than they’re violent movies his characters would likely want to see in cinemas.
![How to watch The Hunger Games movies in order (plus where the new one fits in) photo 1](https://static1.pocketlintimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/162673-tv-news-feature-how-to-watch-the-hunger-games-movies-in-order-plus-where-the-new-one-fits-in-image1-mdcr3d5rls.jpg)
How to watch The Hunger Games movies and prequel in chronological order
With the new Hunger Games movie out now, it’s the perfect time to revisit Panem. Here’s the chronological way to watch all the movies.
Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Kill Bill Vol. 2
A female assassin out to take down her former lover
Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003) and Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004)
Kill Bill sees a former assassin awaken from a four-year coma before setting out to kill the man who put her under.
- Director
- Quentin Tarantino
- Writers
- Quentin Tarantino
- Starring
- Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Lucy Liu
- Run Time
- 111 minutes (Vol. 1) and 136 minutes (Vol. 2)
Kill Bill introduces us to a pregnant bride named Beatrix, played by Uma Thurman. She’s shot in the head on her wedding day and spends four years in a coma before waking and seeking vengeance upon Bill and the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, of which she used to be a member. Now, to tie this all up together, we need to go back to Jack Rabbit Slim’s scene in Pulp Fiction…
In that film, Uma Thurman’s character (Mia Wallace) describes a failed TV pilot known as Fox Force 5. It’s a team of the most dangerous women in the world, including a blonde leader, a Japanese Kung Fu master, a black demolitions expert, a french woman who specialized in sex, and herself, Mia, the most dangerous woman in the world with a knife. Notice the connection there?
That’s where this all leads: Kill Bill is a reworked version of the Fox Force 5 pilot, which Mia Wallace described in Pulp Fiction from the Realer than Real Universe. But, in the Movie Movie Universe, that TV pilot has been turned into two Kill Bill movies. And Uma Thurman isn’t playing the character of Beatrix; she’s playing Mia Wallace, from Pulp Fiction, who’s starring in the Kill Bill series.
![What Order Should You Watch Every Star Trek Movie And Tv Show image 1](https://static1.pocketlintimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/148288-tv-feature-what-order-should-you-watch-every-star-trek-movie-and-tv-show-image1-m7vcupjge6.png)
How to watch the Star Trek movies and TV shows in order
The universe is composed of 13 films and eight TV shows. Here’s how to watch them all.
FAQ
Q: What are the movies in Tarantino’s Realer than Real Universe?
Here are the Tarantino movies from the Realer than Real Universe:
- Django Unchained (2012)
- The Hateful Eight (2015)
- The Inglourious Basterds (2009)
- Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood (2019)
- True Romance (1993)
- Reservoir Dogs (1992)
- Natural Born Killers (1994)
- Pulp Fiction (1994)
Q: What are the movies in Tarantino’s Movie Movie Universe?
Here are the films that Tarantino’s characters would go watch during their down-time in the Realer than Real universe.
- From Dusk till Dawn (1996)
- From Dusk till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (1999)
- From Dusk till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter (1999)
- Grindhouse: Planet Terror (2007)
- Grindhouse: Death Proof (2007)
- Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)
- Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004)
Q: Can you watch the Tarantino Cinematic Universe by order of release?
Sure. Here are all of Tarantino’s films in order of theatrical release, including the ones he wrote but didn’t direct.
- Reservoir Dogs (1992)
- True Romance (1993)
- Natural Born Killers (1994)
- Pulp Fiction (1994)
- From Dusk till Dawn (1996)
- Jackie Brown (1997)
- From Dusk till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (1999)
- From Dusk till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter (1999)
- Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)
- Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004)
- Grindhouse: Planet Terror (2007)
- Grindhouse: Death Proof (2007)
- Inglourious Basterds (2009)
- Django Unchained (2012)
- The Hateful Eight (2015)
- Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood (2019)
Q: How many films has Quentin Tarantino directed?
Here are all 10 movies Tarantino has directed — in theatrical release order.
- Reservoir Dogs (1992)
- Pulp Fiction (1994)
- Jackie Brown (1997)
- Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)
- Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004)
- Death Proof (2007)
- Inglourious Basterds (2009)
- Django Unchained (2012)
- The Hateful Eight (2015)
- Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood (2019)
Trending Products
![Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L Micro-ATX Tower with Magnetic Design Dust Filter, Transparent Acrylic Side Panel…](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51WfytAtGCL._SS300_.jpg)
Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L Micro-ATX Tower with Magnetic Design Dust Filter, Transparent Acrylic Side Panel…
![ASUS TUF Gaming GT301 ZAKU II Edition ATX mid-Tower Compact case with Tempered Glass Side Panel, Honeycomb Front Panel…](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41JUuW8Yc5S._SS300_.jpg)
ASUS TUF Gaming GT301 ZAKU II Edition ATX mid-Tower Compact case with Tempered Glass Side Panel, Honeycomb Front Panel…
![ASUS TUF Gaming GT501 Mid-Tower Computer Case for up to EATX Motherboards with USB 3.0 Front Panel Cases GT501/GRY/WITH…](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41j9qzlOi2L._SS300_.jpg)
ASUS TUF Gaming GT501 Mid-Tower Computer Case for up to EATX Motherboards with USB 3.0 Front Panel Cases GT501/GRY/WITH…
![be quiet! Pure Base 500DX Black, Mid Tower ATX case, ARGB, 3 pre-installed Pure Wings 2, BGW37, tempered glass window](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41xW6xrbicL._SS300_.jpg)
be quiet! Pure Base 500DX Black, Mid Tower ATX case, ARGB, 3 pre-installed Pure Wings 2, BGW37, tempered glass window
![ASUS ROG Strix Helios GX601 White Edition RGB Mid-Tower Computer Case for ATX/EATX Motherboards with tempered glass…](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41T-2v3IuML._SS300_.jpg)
ASUS ROG Strix Helios GX601 White Edition RGB Mid-Tower Computer Case for ATX/EATX Motherboards with tempered glass…
![Bgears b-Voguish Gaming PC with Tempered Glass ATX Mid Tower, USB3.0, Support E-ATX, ATX, mATX, ITX. (Note: Fan NOT…](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41p2u3NJN6L._SS300_.jpg)