3. Django Unchained (2012)
As with most of Quentin Tarantino’s films, Django Unchained received widespread critical acclaim and more in-depth analysis than it probably warrants. However, it is an entertaining Western with Tarantino’s trademarked touches of black comedy, and it certainly deserves the praise it receives, owing in large part to the remarkable performances of its talented cast.
This might seem a strange entry to this list, as there’s nothing about Django Unchained that should ever be changed – but its story goes through an odd ebb and flow, seeming to end before continuing for a substantial amount of time.
This is partly because a large portion of the film’s cast of characters are killed off at the end of the second act, only for Django to survive and return to Candyland to avenge his friend and save his wife. It’s a triumphant moment, but it feels anticlimactic after the action ramps up mid-way through, only to die off before exploding one final time. This entry is more a question of a bizarre choice of pacing, but it still seems to work in Django Unchained‘s favor.