Kill Bill: Vol. 1
After waking from a four-year coma, a former assassin wreaks vengeance on the team of assassins who betrayed her.
Directed by Quentin Tarantino · Action · Crime · Thriller · 111 min · 2003
Trailer
Director
Quentin Tarantino
Writer
Quentin Tarantino
Studio
A Band Apart
Release
10 Oct 2003
Runtime
111 min
Genres
Action, Crime, Thriller
Full Plot
Four years after taking a bullet in the head at her own wedding, The Bride emerges from a coma and decides it's time for payback... with a vengeance. Having been gunned down by her former boss Bill and his deadly squad of international assassins, it's a kill-or-be-killed fight she didn't start, but is determined to finish.
Cast & Characters
the Bride (code name Black Mamba), a former member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, described as "the deadliest woman in the world".
Uma Thurman
(code name Snake Charmer), the former leader of the Deadly Vipers, the Bride's former lover, and the father of her daughter. He is an unseen character until Volume 2.
David Carradine
(code name California Mountain Snake), a former Deadly Viper, Bill's lover and the Bride's fourth target. Elle is based on Madeline (Christina Lindberg) in They Call Her One Eye.
Daryl Hannah
(code name Cottonmouth), a former Deadly Viper who has become the leader of the yakuza in Tokyo.
Lucy Liu
O-Ren Ishii (anime sequence) (voice)
Ai Maeda
(code name Copperhead), a former Deadly Viper and now a mother and homemaker living under the name Jeannie Bell.
Vivica A. Fox
(code name Sidewinder), a former Deadly Viper and Bill's brother, working as a strip club bouncer. He is the Bride's third target.
Michael Madsen
, a sushi chef and long-retired master swordsmith.
Sonny Chiba
, O-Ren's sadistic Japanese schoolgirl bodyguard.
Chiaki Kuriyama
Johnny Mo, head of O-Ren's personal army, the .
Gordon Liu
Ranger Earl McGraw, a Texas Ranger who investigates the wedding chapel massacre. Parks originated McGraw in the Robert Rodriguez film From Dusk till Dawn, which Tarantino wrote and acted in. He reprised the role in both segments of the Rodriguez/Tarantino collaboration Grindhouse. Parks also appeared in Volume 2 as a separate character, Esteban Vihaio.
Michael Parks
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $30.0M, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 has grossed $180.9M worldwide — about 6.0x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 is part of TMDb's "Kill Bill Collection."
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Quentin Tarantino has directed 6 films in our catalog, including Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair, Django Unchained.
Source: theIReview.com catalog · verified 2026-08-02
The chapel used in the opening sequence was conceived during the production of Tarantino's 1994 film Pulp Fiction.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Tarantino spent a year and a half writing the script while living in New York City with Uma Thurman and her newborn daughter Maya.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Uma Thurman cited Clint Eastwood's performance as Blondie in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly as an inspiration for her character.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
David Carradine was originally cast as Bill, but Tarantino rewrote the role after Beatty turned it down due to family commitments.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Critical Assessment
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 holds 8.2/10 on IMDb (1,305,508 votes), 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, 69/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of August 3, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
India
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.2/10 on IMDb (1,305,508 votes), 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, 69/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kill Bill: Vol. 1's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 holds a 85% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is Kill Bill: Vol. 1's IMDb rating?+
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 has a 8.2/10 rating on IMDb from 1,305,508 votes.
What is Kill Bill: Vol. 1's Metacritic score?+
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 has a Metascore of 69/100 on Metacritic.
Is Kill Bill: Vol. 1 good? What are critics saying?+
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 holds 8.2/10 on IMDb (1,305,508 votes), 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, 69/100 on Metacritic.
How long is Kill Bill: Vol. 1?+
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 has a runtime of 111 min.
Who directed Kill Bill: Vol. 1?+
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 was directed by Quentin Tarantino.
Where can I watch Kill Bill: Vol. 1?+
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 is available to stream, rent, or buy on YouTube TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, ITVX Premium, Rakuten TV, Sky Store, Amazon Prime Video, Lionsgate Play, Lionsgate Play Apple TV Channel, Lionsgate Play Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The public reaction to "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" has been mixed. Many reviewers praised the film's action sequences and Uma Thurman's performance as The Bride. However, some critics found it too slow-paced or overly reliant on anime elements.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
This is the movie he made after Jackie Brown. I thought I might just point that out. A big budget, larger scale action blockbuster. This is the one that would change the direction of Tarantino's films. And honestly, it might be my favorite besides Pulp Fiction. This movie oozes w…
tmdb13206453 · 10/10Not so hush hush but very much on the QT. After being gunned down on her wedding day by her former colleagues, assassin Black Mamba (Uma Thurman) rouses from a four year coma with only one thing on her mind, revenge! Striking up a death list of five, she sets off for bloody retri…
John Chard · 8/10Uma Thurman as an anti-superheroine RELEASED IN 2003 and written/directed by Quentin Tarantino, "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" is an action/thriller/fantasy starring Uma Thurman as The Bride who seeks vengeance on the team of assassins who betrayed her, a group of which she once belonged. H…
Wuchak · 7/10Interesting usage of anime to tell O-Ren's back-story, but I wasn't really a fan of the cartoonish blood splattering and gratuitous fight scenes.
rsanek · 5/10Awakening from a lengthy coma, the expecting "Bride" (Uma Thurman) embarks on a lethal killing spree to avenge herself on those responsible for killing her fiancée and to find out just what happened to her unborn baby. She has a past - formerly a soldier in the "Deadly Viper Assa…
CinemaSerf · 6/1072/100 Shot in the head and left for dead at her wedding, our hero decides she's going to kill the entire Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, of which she was a part, and finish off with their leader, Bill. If you haven't gotten around to seeing this by now, you were probably never…
Dr Nostromo · 7/10
From the trailer's comments
I love how the first film never showed Bill's face in hopes of making him the mysterious antagonist, while the trailer just outs and spoils it for you lmao
@adamcbourke · 2169 likesthank god i watched the movie before watching this monstrosity of a trailer
@nppappapaannnnp · 3541 likesNotice they censored the blood out with black paint
@joeytheatheist9636 · 1385 likesThis is one of the most sadistic, gruesome, and brutal movies I’ve ever done seen. I love it
@josebustamante6932 · 891 likesMy favourite film by Quentin Tarrantino! The acting and storyline is spectacular!
@michaelb2440 · 1045 likesKill Bill is probably one of my most favourite movie (s), but if I would see the thrailer first, I would think its just a low budget comedy action movie with cheap CGI...
@Indigoplays · 1695 likesI love the way they try to cover up the blood by making it look like the Bride had a fight with people whose only weapons were ink cartridges
@oliverholmes-gunning2400 · 330 likesThe reason is the baddest ( kick ass ) movie it's because he revolutionized film and vulnerability . If you noticed movies started to imitate female super human Heros but was too fake because they seem untouchable . This movie starts when she's crying and near death thus you're r…
@SOCCERNUT32 · 697 likes
