If he’s only going to direct one more film, it should definitely be horror!

Last week, Quentin Tarantino’s latest feature Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood was released to both critical and commercial acclaim.  Given that he’s one of the most unique filmmakers in the industry, audiences are usually fascinated by whatever he puts out.

For years  he’s stated that he will only direct ten films, and if he is to be believed, then it means he only has one left to go.  He’s done crime thrillers, martial arts, historical western, war, but never horror.  With a career and style like his, finishing out #10 with a horror film would be one awesome way to go!

Plenty to “Steal” From
To say that Quentin Tarantino steals from other movies isn’t an insult at all, given that he uses that term himself (as opposed to “homage”).  Many of his popular films are tributes to other genres and other classics that he himself loves.  And when it comes to the genre of horror, there are plenty of aspects, plot points, visual cues, and ideas that Tarantino could draw from, while creating something truly unique.

Much like Kill Bill was his version of martial arts films, or Reservoir Dogs was his take on gritty crime thrillers, imagine what he could do playing with such subgenres as the slasher, or haunted house, or even paranormal?  With his razor sharp dialogue, he could write and direct a subversive slasher film that gives Scream a run for its money in terms of meta self-awareness.

He’s Already Included Horror Elements
Let’s also not forget the fact that he’s already dabbled in horror territory.  Not only did he write the screenplay for (as well as starred in) From Dusk Till Dawn, but certain elements of horror have already been sprinkled throughout his films.

Everything from the chilling scene in Kill Bill where Beatrix is buried alive (and the audience is in complete darkness with her), to the overwhelming sense of dread in the opening credits of The Hateful Eight.  Tarantino clearly knows how to work with tropes and elicit fear and suspense.  And it would be legitimately fascinating to see him do this over the course of an entire film.

Violence Galore
When Tarantino uses violence, he certainly holds nothing back.  Between his use of “brutal” and “cathartic” violence for different means, he uses blood and gore to remind us this his characters exist in a harsh world, and more importantly, that anything can happen to any character.  And where does this idea fit better than in horror?

Too often, we see slasher films where it’s quite clear who the final girl is meant to be, and we know she’ll make it to the end.  We also know that we’ll watch all of the other characters meet brutal deaths at the hands of the killer.  But in the hands of Tarantino, we could get a slasher film that’s completely unpredictable!

While it would be amazing to see something like this happen, only Quentin Tarantino himself can determine where his career heads next.  The current rumor is that he’ll direct an R-rated Star Trek film, but honestly that seems far less likely than him directing a horror one.  He’s shocked us, disturbed us, and thrilled us, the only thing left for him to do is scare us!