Some Netflix Users Can't Watch 2015’s Most Epic Western Drama

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Channing Tatum in Western clothes outside a building with a concerned expression in The Hateful Eight.

Chris is a Senior News Writer for Collider. He can be found in an IMAX screen, with his eyes watering and his ears bleeding for his own pleasure. He joined the news team in 2022 and accidentally fell upwards into a senior position despite his best efforts.

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If you were planning to revisit The Hateful Eight on Netflix’s cheaper, ad-supported tier in 2026, there’s a catch: You might not be able to watch it at all. As of January 2026, Netflix’s U.S. advertising tier still blocks 145 titles, accounting for roughly 1.85% of its total 7,834-title library. Quentin Tarantino’s sprawling, snowed-in Western is one of the higher-profile casualties — meaning ad-tier subscribers are locked out, even though the film is otherwise available on the platform.

In The Hateful Eight’s case, it’s especially ironic. A movie obsessed with confinement, power, and who gets locked in — or locked out — now finds itself partially inaccessible depending on how much you’re willing to pay. Released in 2015, The Hateful Eight was a full-on Tarantino event: 70mm roadshow presentations, an intermission, and a claustrophobic three-hour runtime that doubled as a vicious commentary on race, power, and American mythology. It’s not just another Western — it’s one of Tarantino’s most ambitious films, anchored by towering performances from Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kurt Russell, and Walton Goggins.

How Good Is 'The Hateful Eight'?

Collider’s review of the movie stated that The Hateful Eight did little to change entrenched opinions on Quentin Tarantino, but strongly rewarded those already attuned to his style. The film was described as a confident, deliberate Western that used confinement, dialogue, and escalating tension to interrogate race, violence, and power in post–Civil War America. While not a radical reinvention, it showcased Tarantino refining his craft through structure, ensemble work, and visual detail, particularly with the 65mm presentation. The review praised the explosive second half, razor-sharp performances — especially Jennifer Jason Leigh's — and argued the film functioned as a dark, thematically rich companion piece to Django Unchained.

"The Hateful Eight may not be Tarantino’s “best” film, but it doesn’t need to be. His return to the Western genre doesn’t feel like a retread of Django, but an essential exploration of themes that couldn’t be completely examined by just one movie, especially one that took place in the antebellum South. While I wouldn’t go so far as to call The Hateful Eight a spiritual sequel to Django, it’s definitely got the same weighty topics on its mind and Tarantino — ever loquacious, bratty, frustratingly brilliant, and shockingly witty — knows just what he wants to say. Hunker down and listen up."

The Hateful Eight is streaming now on Netflix.