02
Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)
When it comes to making a list like this, some would probably argue that Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2 should be counted as one complete film. However, while there's no doubt that together they form a sweeping revenge narrative that is as shocking and violent as you'd expect from a Quentin Tarantino-directed two-parter, it does feel worthwhile to single out 2003's Kill Bill Vol. 1.
The film features more action and in-your-face style than its successor, 2004's Kill Bill Vol. 2, as well as more blood, chopped-off limbs, and sword fights. The movie, in other words, courses with a more bloodthirsty, unrelenting sense of vengeance than its sequel, which purposefully slows everything down in order to retroactively add more emotional layers to its story. Kill Bill Vol. 1, conversely, isn't a deep film, but it is one of the most extravagant and thrilling revenge movies that has ever graced the silver screen. Rarely has a protagonist felt as driven to dole out throat-slitting justice as Uma Thurman's The Bride, and it's hard to think of an instance when a character has ever looked as cool while they're doing it.
