There's truly nothing like watching Uma Thurman kick ass for 247 glorious minutes.
Written by Mariane Tremblay
2025 was an incredible year for films, no complaints there. We got bold releases, great performances, and more than a few movies worth arguing about. Yet, somehow, despite all that, the cinematic event of the year turned out to be the release of a 2006 film (or at least, it was for me).
I’ve always been intrigued by Quentin Tarantino’s work (Pulp Fiction (1994) was my entire personality when I was in college), especially his films with Uma Thurman, whom I consider one of the most badass women ever put on screen. So when Lionsgate announced that they would finally release Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair in theatres, you probably could hear me scream from miles away.
One thing about me: there are now certain cult classics I refuse to watch at home, hoping to experience them on the big screen for the first time one day — which is both a good and a bad thing when you think about it. Some films simply aren’t meant to be watched on a laptop, but for many people, that’s the only option, and waiting can mean missing out altogether, which means there are plenty of films I still haven’t seen, all because of this self-imposed "rule." Kill Bill was (kind of) one of those films.
I watched Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) years ago, but I waited to watch the second part, hoping I’d eventually be able to see both volumes in better conditions. And let’s be honest, nothing compares to watching that kind of film on a big screen, in a room filled with people who love movies as much as you do. Watching Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair in a movie theatre certainly didn’t disappoint.
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) were both written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Meant to be a single film, it ended up being split into two parts because a movie with a runtime of over four hours was considered a potential financial risk. However, Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair finally premiered at Cannes out of Competition in 2006. In 2008, Tarantino announced that the film would have its theatrical release in 2009, before it was indefinitely delayed. The film, however, was screened at Tarantino’s New Beverly Cinema in 2011 and at Tarantino's Vista Theatre in July 2025 before it was given a nationwide theatrical release by Lionsgate on December 5, 2025.
After being betrayed and brutally attacked by her former comrades in the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad during her wedding rehearsal in a little chapel in El Paso, Texas, the Bride, aka Black Mamba (Uma Thurman), awakens from a four-year coma and sets out on a violent quest for revenge against Bill (David Carradine) and the assassins who tried to kill her: O-Ren Ishii, aka Cottonmouth (Lucy Liu), Vernita Green, aka Copperhead (Vivica A. Fox), Elle Driver, aka California Mountain Snake (Daryl Hannah), and Budd, aka Sidewinder (Michael Madsen). Armed with a legendary sword made of Japanese steel by Hattori Hanzō (Sonny Chiba), she hunts down her targets, surviving betrayals, brutal fights, and even being buried alive, which ultimately leads her to Bill.
Don’t get me wrong, but I genuinely don’t think we make films like this anymore, and that’s why Kill Bill still feels relevant two decades later and still manages to bring people to the theatre, even if it means being seated in a room for over four hours. From its exaggerated fight choreographies to the set design and soundtrack choices, every frame of Kill Bill is meticulously crafted, creating a heightened, almost comic-book-like world that draws you in completely.
Over the years, Kill Bill has become a true cult classic and has been referenced in countless films, series, and pop culture moments. Some people may have never watched it, but everyone knows about it, whether it’s the iconic black-and-yellow tracksuit Beatrix wears, Elle’s unmistakable whistling, the Pussy Wagon truck, or even its soundtrack, from Nancy Sinatra’s haunting Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) to the music by The 5.6.7.8's and RZA, which amplifies every moment and every emotion, perfectly underscoring the tension, humour, and spectacle of Beatrix’s journey. Nancy Sinatra’s song in particular is just perfect, capturing the film’s stylish blend of vengeance, drama, and dark humour that makes it so unforgettable.
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair goes all in on Tarantino’s stylistic vision, every choice is audacious and unmistakably his. It’s violent, brutal, bloody, and slightly "ridiculous" in the best way (especially in the way characters run, jump, or fight), completely uncensored and unapologetic. You can tell within minutes that this is a Tarantino movie, and that full commitment to style is exactly what makes it so thrilling. From the anime sequence of O-Ren Ishii’s backstory to the split-screen fights, every visual choice and editing decision reinforces Tarantino’s signature style, immersing the viewer fully in his cinematic world. I was locked in the entire time, my heart pounding, my eyes glued to the screen, and only a few films have ever made me feel that way. Forced to admit here that I am one hundred percent an action girl and that those films truly scream my name.
But beyond the deadly revenge quest, Kill Bill is also, at its core, a story about motherhood and loss. Beatrix Kiddo’s journey begins not simply because she was betrayed, attacked, and left for dead, but because all of this happened at the exact moment she was trying to build a new life for herself and her unborn child. After discovering she was pregnant, Beatrix made the radical choice of leaving the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad to give her child a chance at a safe, ordinary future with a clean slate. A world of assassins was no place to raise a child, unless that child was meant to become one. From the moment the pregnancy test turned positive, Beatrix knew she had to escape, but her former comrades refused to let her go.
When she awakens four years after the El Paso, Texas, Wedding Chapel Massacre, her thirst for revenge is fuelled not only by betrayal and brutality, but by the devastating belief that her baby was murdered. What begins as a violent quest for retribution gradually reveals itself as something far more intimate: a mother’s fight to reclaim what was stolen from her. The bloodshed becomes inseparable from mourning, and vengeance becomes a means of survival.
In Women, Monstrosity and Horror Film: Gynaehorror, Erin Harrington identifies The Bride as an example of "monstrous motherhood," positioning her as both a figure of excess and a fiercely protective "mama bear." Beatrix’s arc transforms her from a thwarted bride and wronged woman into a mother whose violence is framed as instinctual and defensive. This shift becomes especially apparent in the second part of the film, where it finally grants her a name. No longer just "The Bride" or an anonymous assassin, Beatrix Kiddo is reclaimed as a person, her humanity restored through motherhood. She is no longer simply a member of an assassination squad, but a woman defined by love, loss, and an unbreakable maternal drive.
This complexity is perhaps most evident in Beatrix’s relationship with Bill, which stands as one of the film’s most unsettling dynamics. Calling their relationship toxic would be an understatement — Bill is manipulative, violent, jealous, and deeply possessive — traits fundamentally incompatible with anything resembling a healthy relationship. And yet, the film resists presenting him as purely monstrous. When Beatrix tells him, "Your sweet side is your best side," and when we see him caring for B.B., it becomes clear that Bill is capable of tenderness, however limited and conditional it may be. Before their daughter was born, Beatrix was the only person who could access that softer side of him, suggesting that he did genuinely love her, in his own distorted way.
That contradiction is precisely what makes their relationship so interesting. Bill’s love does not negate his cruelty, just as his moments of care cannot excuse his violence. Instead, Kill Bill presents love, control, and destruction as tragically intertwined, underscoring the film’s central tension between devotion and domination, and the lengths to which a mother will go to protect what is hers.
Come to think of it, and when you hear Uma Thurman’s name, you immediately think of Beatrix Kiddo or Mia Wallace — it’s undeniable. There are only a few female protagonists in action films, even fewer before she came to our screens. There’s nothing quite like watching Uma Thurman wield a sword and kick ass while blood sprays everywhere. Female rage, embodied by one of the most badass women ever put on screen, is truly cathartic, and watching it unfold for 247 glorious minutes is one of the most thrilling cinematic experiences. The Bride is one of the most iconic characters of all time, and I can’t imagine anyone else portraying her the way Thurman did, mostly because she looks so sweet and innocent in a way. She balances this sweetness, humour, and deadly skill in a way that makes her feel human, relatable, and terrifying all at once, because she is, after all, "the deadliest woman in the world."
Thurman deserved and still deserves all the praise for this performance, because it is genuinely one of the best main characters of the decade. Watching it in a packed theatre added another layer of exhilaration — gasps at the sword fights, laughter at the dark humour, and the shared thrill of a room full of fans all experiencing the chaos together.
If you are a fan of Kill Bill and ever have the opportunity to watch the film in a theatre near you, I suggest you take it, as Tarantino said this version may never be released on home video since he prefers to keep this version exclusive for the theatre experience, and honestly, I can’t blame him. Watching it now, it’s clear why the film continues to resonate: its audacity, style, and commitment to storytelling make it a timeless cinematic thrill ride that still captivates audiences decades later.
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