Your State’s Favorite Tarantino Movie
Quentin Tarantino’s ninth film as a director, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, hits theaters on Friday, July 26—but, if you’re Tarantino fan, you already knew that. His “event” movies come around only every three years or so; we’re not talking Marvel frequency here.
To celebrate the release of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, we at CableTV.com have concocted a whopper (or, if you prefer, a “Royale with Cheese”) of a research dive: determining each state’s favorite Tarantino movie. It’s kind of our thing—we really like maps around here.
Using Google Trends, we analyzed interest in Tarantino’s previous eight films state-by-state over the past 12 months. We included just the movies he’s directed, omitting projects where he acted only as a writer or producer.
We also considered Kill Bill: Volume 1 and Kill Bill: Volume 2 to be a single (but super-long) entity, and we left out his pre-Reservoir Dogs short-film debut, 1987’s My Best Friend’s Birthday. Never heard of it? Check it out on YouTube.
Everybody be cool—this is what we found:


At 25, Pulp Fiction still rules
Tarantino’s 1994 breakout hit Pulp Fiction still resonates with the furious anger of a Samuel L. Jackson monologue after all these years. Seventeen states remain fond of John Travolta’s ponytail, Uma Thurman’s bob, and the Gimp’s luxurious leather. Zed’s far from dead, baby.
Pulp Fiction states:
- Florida
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Kansas
- Michigan
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Jackie Brown knows how it’s goin’ down
Jackie Brown, Tarantino’s 1997 follow-up to Pulp Fiction, is absolutely, positively, our runner-up—accept no substitutes. The Pam Grier-led crime caper scored big with 11 states, despite its relatively low-key profile in Tarantinoland. Like the Delfonics, it’s still pretty good.
Jackie Brown states:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Connecticut
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nevada
- New York
- Oregon
- South Carolina
Killing Bill for thrills
The sprawling martial-arts revenge epic Kill Bill was originally split into Volume 1 (2003) and Volume 2 (2004) out of theatrical necessity. In these binge-watching times, it’s now one big four-hour-plus movie. The bloody saga sliced its way into the hearts of 10 states that side with The Bride.
Kill Bill states:
- Arizona
- California
- Delaware
- Hawaii
- Indiana
- Louisiana
- Oklahoma
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
The Basterds remain Inglourious
Tarantino’s darkly comic WWII tale Inglourious Basterds, released in 2009, is the most critically acclaimed of the director’s late-career work—and seven states agree. Brad Pitt and Christoph Waltz’s over-the-top performances alone are worth the proclamation, “That’s a bingo!”
Inglourious Basterds states:
- Alaska
- Colorado
- District of Columbia
- Iowa
- Massachusetts
- New Jersey
- North Dakota
The original Dogs
Before Pulp Fiction made him a household name, 1992’s Reservoir Dogs cemented Tarantino’s cred in cult-cinema circles. It’s a basic heist movie decorated (or splattered) with blood, profanity, and dazzling dialogue, set to a meticulous soundtrack—all Tarantino hallmarks that at least three states appreciate.
Reservoir Dogs states:
- Maine
- Minnesota
- New Mexico
The rest of the QT gang
The Hateful Eight (2015), Django Unchained (2012), and Grindhouse (2007) are apparently acquired Tarantino tastes—only one state apiece showed love for the trio. Kudos to Georgia for recognizing Death Proof, Tarantino’s car-crazed half of Grindhouse’s double feature.
Georgia: Grindhouse
Montana: Django Unchained
Vermont: The Hateful Eight
The United States of Tarantino
From cult-flick auteur to superstar director, Quentin Tarantino changed American cinema and inspired hundreds of copycats (check IMDB—the ‘90s and ‘00s overflowed with Pulp Fiction wannabes).
But do you agree with your state’s favorite Tarantino movie? Will Once Upon a Time in Hollywood top them all? Let us know in the comments (cue the Dick Dale surf guitar).
State | Favorite Tarantino movie | |
---|---|---|
Alabama | Jackie Brown | |
Alaska | Inglourious Basterds | |
Arizona | Kill Bill | |
Arkansas | Jackie Brown | |
California | Kill Bill | |
Colorado | Inglourious Basterds | |
Connecticut | Jackie Brown | |
Delaware | Kill Bill | |
District of Columbia | Inglourious Basterds | |
Florida | Pulp Fiction | |
Georgia | Grindhouse | |
Hawaii | Kill Bill | |
Idaho | Pulp Fiction | |
Illinois | Pulp Fiction | |
Indiana | Kill Bill | |
Iowa | Inglourious Basterds | |
Kansas | Pulp Fiction | |
Kentucky | Jackie Brown | |
Louisiana | Kill Bill | |
Maine | Reservoir Dogs | |
Maryland | Jackie Brown | |
Massachusetts | Inglourious Basterds | |
Michigan | Pulp Fiction | |
Minnesota | Reservoir Dogs | |
Mississippi | Jackie Brown | |
Missouri | Jackie Brown | |
Montana | Django Unchained | |
Nebraska | Pulp Fiction | |
Nevada | Jackie Brown | |
New Hampshire | Pulp Fiction | |
New Jersey | Inglourious Basterds | |
New Mexico | Reservoir Dogs | |
New York | Jackie Brown | |
North Carolina | Pulp Fiction | |
North Dakota | Inglourious Basterds | |
Ohio | Pulp Fiction | |
Oklahoma | Kill Bill | |
Oregon | Jackie Brown | |
Pennsylvania | Pulp Fiction | |
Rhode Island | Pulp Fiction | |
South Carolina | Jackie Brown | |
South Dakota | Kill Bill | |
Tennessee | Kill Bill | |
Texas | Kill Bill | |
Utah | Pulp Fiction | |
Vermont | The Hateful Eight | |
Virginia | Pulp Fiction | |
Washington | Pulp Fiction | |
West Virginia | Pulp Fiction | |
Wisconsin | Pulp Fiction | |
Wyoming | Pulp Fiction |