Directed by Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds premiered in 2009 and marked a significant milestone in the filmmaker's career. This war and revenge epic reimagines World War II through a bold fictional lens, divided into chapters and featuring an all-star international cast: Brad Pitt, Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Diane Kruger, and Michael Fassbender. Debuting in competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 2009, the film earned Christoph Waltz the Best Actor award and went on to garner widespread critical acclaim and institutional recognition. After years of being broadcast on various platforms, Inglourious Basterds will be available on Netflix from January 19, 2026 in France.
In Nazi-occupied France during the 1940s, Shosanna Dreyfus survives the massacre of her family carried out by SS Colonel Hans Landa. Hiding in Paris under a false identity, she takes over a small cinema—an unassuming place that soon becomes the backdrop for a carefully planned act of retaliation. Her solitary journey unfolds in silence, driven by trauma and a deep longing for a defining moment.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Aldo Raine assembles a team of American Jewish soldiers trained for targeted retaliations against the Nazi regime. Known as the “Basterds,” these men operate outside the conventional rules and team up with a German actress turned double agent to strike at the heart of the Third Reich’s command. Their paths cross during a film screening that could, both symbolically and literally, alter the course of history.
Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino over nearly a decade, Inglourious Basterds marks the first time the filmmaker sets a story in a historical era from the past. Drawing inspiration from European war cinema, spaghetti Westerns, and exploitation films, the movie plays fast and loose with historical accuracy. Filming took place across Germany and France, with a strong emphasis on multilingual dialogue, which becomes a key element in building dramatic tension. Christoph Waltz’s portrayal of Hans Landa has become iconic, earning the Austrian actor an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor.
Blending elements of **war films** and genre cinema, Inglourious Basterds stands out with its elongated dialogues, stylized violence, and dark humor. Tarantino plays with the contrast between words and action, building tension through clever direction and language play, as much as through daring sequences. The film appeals both to fans of the director’s style and to viewers interested in fictionalized reimaginings of history, in a tone reminiscent of Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.
Inglourious Basterds
Film | 2009
Released in theaters: August 19, 2009
Available on Netflix starting from January 19, 2026
Action, War | Duration: 2h 33m
Directed by Quentin Tarantino | Starring Brad Pitt, Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz
Original title: Inglourious Basterds
Countries: United States, Germany
A pivotal work for Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds stands out as a unique take on how war and memory are portrayed on the big screen. Blending themes of revenge, theatrical tension, and cinematic references, the film maintains a distinctive place in the landscape of modern cinema.
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