Quentin Tarantino Critiques Modern Films

Quentin Tarantino, the Oscar-winning director of “Pulp Fiction,” has expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of films. In an essay for Sight & Sound magazine, Tarantino criticized modern movies, lamenting that few capture his interest fully anymore.

“Flaws, implausibilities, audience pandering, miscast performers or just plain stupidness typically ruin every new movie,” he wrote, as reported by Variety.

Tarantino believes contemporary films often fail to impress compared to earlier decades, commenting that the past six years’ movies make the 1980s seem like a superior era, despite having called the 1980s one of cinema’s worst decades.

In his essay, he acknowledged some exceptions to his criticism, noting films like “West Side Story” (2021) and “Horizon: An American Saga” Chapter 1 and 2 (2024) as enjoyable. However, he stated these films failed to provide the captivating experiences he once regularly encountered, prompting him to prefer reading over watching movies.

Tarantino also praised a new film he appreciated, “The Rip,” a 2026 Netflix thriller starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. He called it an exciting cop thriller with a novel concept and applauded the direction, cast, cinematography, and screenplay.

Since his directorial debut with “Reservoir Dogs” in 1992, Tarantino has not released a new movie since 2019’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and plans to direct only one more before retiring.

At the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, Tarantino expressed disappointment with the film industry’s evolution, particularly movies quickly becoming accessible at home after a short theater run.

“What … is a movie now?” he questioned. “Something that plays for a brief period in theaters and can then be watched on television shortly after? I didn’t pursue filmmaking for diminishing returns.”

Tarantino has recently praised other films, including “Top Gun: Maverick” and Spielberg’s “West Side Story,” describing them as cinematic spectacles.

Despite planning to retire, Tarantino revealed upcoming work: a “swashbuckling comedy” play, “The Popinjay Cavalier,” and a Netflix project screened by David Fincher, starring Brad Pitt reprising his “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” role.