9 Movies like Inglourious Basterds You Should Watch

Inglourious Basterds is a classic Tarantino genre-blending thrill-ride war film that is violent, unrestrained, and thoroughly entertaining. This box office hit war film Inglourious Basterds was released in 2009. The film consists of a highly articulated cast of actors like Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz and Michael Fassbender. If you’re looking to watch movies like Inglourious Basterds that capture Tarantino’s style, you should check out our list. The film tells a story in two parallel plots, with both plots leading to the killing of the leader of the Nazi Party. One plan is plotted by a French Jewish woman (Mélanie Laurent) who, as a girl, escaped death from ‘the Jew Hunter’ (Waltz). Secondly, the Jewish American soldiers led by First Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Pitt) also plotted a plan. Inglourious Basterds became one of the highest Tarantino films at the time. The quirky dialogues are Tarantino’s trademark and the film keeps getting funnier as we move towards the end.

1. Django Unchained (2012)

Django Unchained is a revisionist tribute to the Spaghetti Westerns, mainly the 1966 Italian Film Django. Directed and written by Quentin Tarantino, this film is set in 1858 in the Old West and Antebellum South. The story follows Django (Jamie Fox), a formerly enslaved person. He joins forces with a dentist-turned-bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner called Calvin (Leonardo DiCaprio).

Django Unchained has all the Tarantino trademarks. Recurring cast members like Christoph Waltz, drawn-out-suspense, natural dialogue, and satisfying climax of bloody violence. Undoubtedly a fantastic movie with some outstanding performances by Waltz, Foxx, and DiCaprio. Being the highest-grossing Tarantino movie to date, Django Unchained is my top recommendation if you enjoy movies like Inglourious Basterds.

2. Jojo Rabbit (2019)

The comedy-drama film Jojo Rabbit was written and directed by Taika Waititi and released in 2019. Taika found inspiration from the book Caging Skies by Christine Leunens. The film sets during the Nazi Germany collapse in the fictional city of Falkenheim. The story follows a 10-year-old boy Hitler Youth, who finds out that her mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic.

The boy faces the challenge to choose between his beliefs and his mother’s (Scarlett Johansson). Hence, the boy conjures up an imaginary friend, a fanciful version of Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi). Waititi brilliantly uses elements of terror and thrill from the usual war movies in a houmous and satirical manner, which are tropes also used in Inglourious Basterds. If you want to see more films similar to Inglourious Basterds, Jojo Rabbit is one you should surely consider.

3. Pulp Fiction (1994)

Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction is a cult classic film. Originally released in 1994, the movie belongs to the dark comedy crime genre. The story follows a series of crimes in Los Angeles told out of order. The title of the movie itself refers to the Pulp magazines and hardboiled crime novels that were famous at the time.

Pulp Fiction is filled with violent action and punchy dialogues. The humour is not felt at first but is apparent but the film gets better with every rewatch. The jokes can be over the top at times but hilarious regardless. The acting, action and dialogues of the movie are now iconic and the film has become an imminent part of pop culture. If you haven’t seen it already Pulp Fiction is a must-watch if you are looking for movies similar to Inglourious Basterds.

4. 1917 (2019)

The war film 1917 was released in 2019, with director Sam Mendes, producing and co-writing the film. 1917 was partially inspired by the stories of Mendes’ paternal grandfather Alfred who served during WWI. The story is set in the Hindenburg Line of Germany, where the German soldiers retreat during their Operation. An infantry battalion assembles to wage war in the enemy territory.

The movie follows two young soldiers assigned the life-risking task of delivering a critical message to the battalion to prevent an ambush. 1917 uses a unique cinematic approach of a long-continuous real-time shot to bring out the raw, intimate experience of the soldiers. The film also features well-known actors like Benedict Cumberbatch, Colin Firth, and Andrew Scott. If you enjoy watching World War movies like Inglourious Basterds, then 1917 is the perfect pick to check out.

5. The Inglorious Bastards (1978)

The Inglorious Bastards is a 1978 Italian- Euro War film. This 1978 loosely bases itself on the 1967 American film The Dirty Dozen. The movie follows a group of prisoners who are drafted into a special war mission in 1944 to steal a Navi V2 rocket. The film received critics’ attention again after Tarantino used the title as the inspiration for the title of his movie Inglourious Basterds.

Though Tarantino’s film is not a remake, it does contain a few references to The Inglorious Bastards including the appearance of the actor Bo Svenson as an American colonel. Presenting a very entertaining and light-hearted story, this film is filled with twists and turns. The Inglorious Bastards is a fantastic movie similar to Inglourious Basterds.

6. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)

After watching a couple of Tarantino films, it becomes apparent he loves to make fictional movies where he can incorporate real-life events in a what-if situation. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood reinvents the story of the infamous LA murder of the actress Sharon Tate. The movie features multiple storylines but mainly focuses on the life of a fading actor Rick Dalton (DiCaprio), and his stunt double, Cliff Booth (Pitt).

Rick Dalton is desperate to introduce himself to Sharon after they become neighbours to get a second chance in Hollywood. Brad Pitt delivers yet another outstanding performance in Once upon a time in Hollywood. Few directors like Tarantino can conjure up the brilliance of unpredictable yet predictable crazy twist endings. If you are searching for similar movies like Inglourious Basterds, then Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is a perfect choice.

7. Fury (2014)

As it turns out, Brad Pitt was the main character in another War Film. Fury is an American war-oriented film that portrays a US tank crew fighting in Germany during the final weeks of the European Theatre of WWII. The film’s director was influenced by reading war books and the service of veterans in his family, highlighting the high casualties of tank crews in Europe.

For Fury, the cast, direction, and cinematography are standouts, but nothing sticks more than the tone. It’s a film that makes itself memorable long after the end. Fury bluntly underlines the dehumanising terror of conflict as the crew lurch from one suicide mission to the next. If you want to see more historical war movies like Inglourious Basterds, you should try Fury.

8. Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Reservoir Dogs is Tarantino’s 1992 feature film debut. This crime film follows a group of diamond thieves whose simple jewellery heist goes terribly wrong. The surviving criminals begin to suspect that amongst them is a police informant. While controversial at first, the film was highly appreciated years after its original release.

Reservoir Dogs is a terrifically articulated story with some unique motifs that have grown to become specific to Tarantino’s directing style. This is undoubtedly a great crime thriller, beautifully written, with a top-notch cast but be warned; it is also very violent. You should definitely watch Reservoir Dogs if you are a fan of movies like Inglourious Basterds.

9. Schindler’s List (2017)

Schindler’s List is a historical drama film by Steven Speilberg. It follows the true story of Czech-born Oskar Schindler, a businessman. He tries to make a fortune during WWII by exploiting cheap labour but saves more than 1000 Polish-Jewish refugees from the incredibly terrifying events of the Holocaust.

The film exhibits the terror and misery faced by innocent people in Nazi Germany. However, the ending brings a sweet and hopeful message that can stay with you for years. If you are in search of more movies like Inglourious Basterds and wish to know more about what happened at the time, then you should try to watch this impactful film, Schindler’s List.