Quentin Tarantino’s View on Modern Cinema

Quentin Tarantino, the acclaimed director of ‘Pulp Fiction’, recently expressed his dissatisfaction with the current state of cinema. In an essay for Sight & Sound magazine, he shared that it’s rare for him to find a new movie that fully captivates him. According to Variety, he criticized recent films for flaws, implausibilities, miscast actors, and pandering to audiences. He described modern Hollywood as a ‘flavorless sausage factory.’

Tarantino commented that compared to recent films, the ’80s seem similar to the ’30s in terms of quality. Historically, he has labeled the 1980s as one of the worst periods for film. Despite his critiques, he admitted there’s a handful of recent films he appreciates, including the 2021 ‘West Side Story’, ‘Horizon: An American Saga’ (2024), and a few others. However, he finds himself more inclined to read a book than watch new movies.

One recent film that did captivate him is ‘The Rip’ (2026), available on Netflix. Starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, Tarantino praised it as an ‘exciting cop thriller’ with fresh ideas. He admired the direction, cast, cinematography, and screenplay.

Tarantino debuted as a director with ‘Reservoir Dogs’ in 1992. He has not made a film since ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ released in 2019. He plans to direct one more movie before retirement but feels disillusioned with the industry, partly due to how quickly films become available to stream at home after their theater release. At the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, he shared concerns about what constitutes a film today, lamenting the shift in how films are distributed and consumed.

In past interviews, Tarantino expressed admiration for ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, which he described as a fantastic cinematic spectacle. During a podcast in 2022, he listed his top 20 films of the 21st century. Notably, no films from the 2020s were included, aside from Spielberg’s ‘West Side Story’.

Looking forward, Tarantino has revealed plans for a West End play titled ‘The Popinjay Cavalier’. Meanwhile, a follow-up to ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’, with a screenplay by Tarantino and directed by David Fincher, is set for release on Netflix. It features Brad Pitt reprising his role as Cliff Booth.