On the way through Wyoming to Red Rock, former cavalry officer Warren (Jackson) hitches a ride in a stagecoach with fellow bounty hunter John (Russell), who's taking feisty killer Daisy (Leigh) to collect the reward and see her hanged. They also pick up stranded new sheriff Chris (Goggins) as an encroaching blizzard forces them to take refuge at an isolated lodge manned by Bob (Bichir). Hangman Oswaldo (Roth) and war veteran Sandy(Dern) have already holed up there with a mysterious friend Joe (Madsen). And it'll be a miracle if anyone leaves here alive.

As usual, Tarantino's script has a snap to it that holds the attention, complete with blackly witty details and knowing flashes of violence, racism and misogyny. But while the film is designed with flair, it's directed in a way that makes scenes play out like a theatrical farce. This makes the overwhelmingly wordy script feel rather static, with lengthy conversations about past exploits and thorny discussions about political issues that are more relevant today than in the 19th century. There's also some rather indulgent postmodern narration.

Performances build an entertaining range of oddball characters: Jackson's sardonic weariness, Russell's bluster, Roth's smirking dandy and so on. With the most textured characters, Goggins and Leigh steal the show as lively, jaggedly hilarious people who are enjoyably unpredictable. And an extended flashback extends the cast, adding some additional conflict while slyly making it impossible to work out who the eponymous eight central figures are meant to be.

Tarantino is good enough at creating character tension to keep the audience gripped, but the movie's energy is strangely muted. It looks great, with a spectacular snowy landscape expansively photographed by Robert Richardson and accompanied by a striking Ennio Morricone score. But the majority of the action takes place in a single setting as these chatty characters jostle to maintain control over their destinies. There's plenty of potential, but without a deeper reason for all of the brutality, it never quite pays off.

themes, language, violence

22.Dec.15