Inglourious Basterds currently dominates Reservoir Dogs 76–24
The WWII epic overwhelms the debut. Tarantino's ambition buries his economy.
Who do you think should win?
The Verdict Director's Cut
Basterds dominating Reservoir Dogs at this margin says ambition overwhelms economy when the ambition is this fully realized. Waltz's Hans Landa is the performance that makes the case: the farmhouse interrogation is Tarantino's single best-written scene, sustained across languages and subtext and a glass of milk that becomes the most menacing prop in cinema. The basement tavern scene stacks three kinds of tension on top of each other until the room explodes. Reservoir Dogs has the debut's lean intensity, the warehouse pressure, the dialogue that made Tarantino's name. At this margin it's not enough. The glass of milk in the farmhouse is worth more than the entire warehouse.
The Numbers
| Reservoir Dogs | Inglourious Basterds | |
|---|---|---|
| Head-to-Head | 24% | 76% |
| Overall Win Rate | 56% | 61% |
| Championships | 18 | 42 |
| Avg Decision | 2.5s | 3.1s |
| Budget | $1M | $70M |
| Return | 2.4x | 4.6x |
Where This Matchup Sits
Inglourious Basterds is in the top quarter of Drama among 101 on BingeBracket.
Looking at Quentin Tarantino's 8 films on BingeBracket, Reservoir Dogs ranks #3 and Inglourious Basterds ranks #1.
The championship record tells the same story: Inglourious Basterds has 42 tournament wins to Reservoir Dogs's 18. The pedigree gap matches the head-to-head gap.
Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Inglourious Basterds (2009) are 17 years apart, which makes raw box office comparisons misleading. Relative to their budgets, both returned a similar multiple — but Inglourious Basterds wins the head-to-head.
Where to Watch
Availability may vary by region.
Want to pit Inglourious Basterds against something else?
Build your own bracket with any films you want.