Quentin Tarantino's 10 Most Controversial Movie Takes

Quentin Tarantino loves to talk. A well-known cinephile, Tarantino seems to enjoy gabbing about movies as much as he does making them. He often shares lists of his favorite movies, giving fans insight into his eclectic tastes and sparking discourse from all sides. The director is not one to temper his opinions for the sake of others, and sometimes, his hot takes get him in trouble.

Recently, Tarantino was a guest on "American Psycho" writer Bret Easton Ellis' podcast. He revealed his favorite movies of the 21st century, including "Toy Story 3," which Tarantino compared to "The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly," another one of his favorite films. Tarantino made sure to offend some people with his picks, noting that he "can't stand" Owen Wilson, despite putting Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" at number 10, and suggesting that Martin Scorsese hasn't made a film as exciting as Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story" in this century. He also called "Lost in Translation" a "girlie movie" and was sure to remind everyone that he used to date Sofia Coppola.

We'll get to the most newsworthy controversy from the podcast in a moment, but suffice it to say, we could fill a book with the director's most polarizing hot takes. Since we don't have time for that, here's a representative sampling. Keep reading to discover Tarantino's 10 most controversial movie takes.

Appearing as a guest on Bret Easton Ellis' podcast, Quentin Tarantino ranked Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood" as his fifth favorite film of the 21st century. While one would think Taranino would have nothing but praise for the film, that's not the case. He took aim at one of the film's stars, Paul Dano, the king of getting beaten up on screen. Taranto suggested that the film would be higher on his list were it not for Dano, who is the movie's biggest flaw.

"[Dano] is weak sauce, man. He is the weak sister," the director said. "Austin Butler would have been wonderful in that role. He's just such a weak, weak, uninteresting guy. The weakest f**king actor in SAG," he continued.

Tarantino's criticism did not sit well with Dano's peers. Many of his famous colleagues took to social media to defend the actor, behaving as if Tarantino's rudeness constituted a humanitarian crisis of some sort. Dano's defenders include Reese Witherspoon, Ben Stiller, Daniel Day-Lewis, Elijah Wood, Alec Baldwin, and Toni Collette, among others. Ethan Hawke, who also went on record as a fan of Dano's work, argued that the situation was ultimately positive, as it revealed how much affection people have toward the actor. "I don't think Paul Dano ever knew that so many people loved him," Hawke suggested on Joe Rogan's podcast.

Tarantino's recent podcast appearance isn't the first time he's garnered controversy stemming from a conversation with Bret Easton Ellis. In 2015, Tarantino was interviewed by Ellis for a piece in The New York Times. Ellis and Tarantino discuss the 2015 Oscars, including the supposed snub of Ava DuVernay's film "Selma," which Ellis claimed sparked a "national sentimental-narrative outrage." Tarantino's take on the film? "[DuVernay] did a really good job on 'Selma' but 'Selma' deserved an Emmy," he responded.

Though it's not entirely clear what he meant by that statement, most took it to mean that he believed "Selma" was only as good as a TV program, not a feature film. Unsurprisingly, this sentiment angered many onlookers. In response to the controversy, Tarantino commented on the quote in a message to IndieWire's Anne Thompson.

He explained that Ellis was talking about the film, not him, as he had never seen it. He claims that while he did say the "it deserved an Emmy" line, he meant it as a question, not a criticism. According to Tarantino, the Emmy mention wasn't a dig, as he loves television. Rather, he thought the film looked like a TV movie from the 1970s or 1980s, several of which Tarantino holds in high regard.

In 2009, Quentin Tarantino did an interview with Sky Movies, where he listed his 20 favorite films from 1992 (when he started making films) to 2009. Tarantino included the groundbreaking 1999 film "The Matrix" on his list, but not without a caveat. He noted that he previously would have put "The Matrix" at number two on his list, but that was before he saw the sequels, which he claims "ruined the mythology" for him. "I can't, frankly, I just can't think about it the same way as I did before," he continued.

Tarantino echoed this sentiment in a profile for Vulture in 2015. He recalled what it was like when "Kill Bill" and "The Matrix Reloaded" were in theaters at the same time, and he was worried about the competition. Those worries were unfounded, according to Tarantino. "I saw 'Matrix Reloaded' at the Chinese Theatre the day it opened, and I walked out of the cinema singing that Jay Z song: 'S-dot-Carter / Y'all must try harder / Competition is nada,'" he explained. "I was like, 'Bring it the f*** on. I was worried about that? Ho-ly s***.'"

Though it's difficult to argue that any "Matrix" film is better than the first one, our very own Joshua Meyer disagrees vehemently with Tarantino's criticisms of the sequels. He argues that "The Matrix Reloaded" is the great misunderstood sequel of the 2000s, and it actually builds on the mythology in gratifying ways.

Hitchcock is one of the most revered filmmakers of all time, but Quentin Tarantino doesn't hold him in as high regard as some of his peers. In the unedited version of his interview with Bret Easton Ellis in The New York Times, he revealed that he's "not the biggest Hitchcock fan." He expanded on his take, noting that he doesn't like "Vertigo" and his 1950s movies and thinks "North by Northwest" is a mediocre film. In his 2022 book "Cinema Speculation," Tarantino called "Frenzy," Hitchcock's penultimate film, "a piece of crap."

However, Tarantino's dislike of the director doesn't extend to his cinematic influences. "I've always felt that Hitchcock's acolytes took his cinematic and story ideas further," he explained. These acolytes include avowed Hitchcock lover Brian De Palma, whose film "Sisters" he dedicated an entire chapter of his book to, along with the films of Richard Franklin and Curtis Hanson. "I prefer those to actual Hitchcock," Tarantino declared.

Though "North by Northwest" is widely considered one of Hitchcock's great films, not everyone agrees with this consensus. In fact, the film's star, Cary Grant, thought "North by Northwest" had a "terrible script," giving some credence to Tarantino's take. Tarantino's dislike of "Vertigo" is more of an unpopular opinion, as it was previously named the best film of all time.

Quentin Tarantino isn't afraid of stoking controversy with his movie opinions, as evidenced by his numerous hot takes about Alfred Hitchcock. However, his most sizzling Hitchcock take is this: Tarantino prefers "Psycho II" over "Psycho." He shared this opinion at the Tarantino Film Festival, honing in on the extraordinary acting. "I feel that Psycho II has the very best performance by Anthony Perkins of all time," he said. "I completely care about Norman Bates in this thing, and that's f***ed up."

"Psycho II" takes place 22 years after the original, with both Anthony Perkins and Vera Miles, who played Janet Leigh's sister, reprising their roles. After two decades in a mental institution, Norman's doctor (Robert Loggia) decides it's time for him to be released into the wild. He tries to readjust to civilian life, but strange things keep happening, and the bodies start piling up. To be fair, "Psycho II" is better than you might expect, but claiming that it's superior to the original is still an absurd argument.

If that take isn't enough to blow your mind, consider this: Tarantino also prefers Gus Van Sant's 1998 shot-for-shot remake of "Psycho" to the original, as he told Bret Easton Ellis in an interview. An enormous horror movie flop, Van Sant's film is one of the most maligned remakes ever made. Still, it has a few defenders in addition to Tarantino, including /Film's Chris Evangelista, who calls it a "fascinating, bold experiment."

Quentin Tarantino is an avowed fan of the 2000 film "Battle Royale," directed by Japanese filmmaker Kinji Fukasaku. In a 2009 interview with Sky Movies, Tarantino ranked it as his favorite movie released between 1992 and 2009, explaining that "if there was any movie that has been made since I've been making movies that I wish I had made, it's that one."

Tarantino loves "Battle Royale" so much that he's willing to go to war for it. While appearing on Bret Easton Ellis' podcast, Tarantino claimed that "The Hunger Games" ripped off "Battle Royale." He didn't mince words when it came to his accusation. "I do not understand how the Japanese writer didn't sue Suzanne Collins for every f***ing thing she owns. They just ripped off the f***ing book," he explained. He went on to say that while "stupid book critics" didn't notice the connection, "As soon as the film critics saw the film, they said, 'What the f***, this is just Battle Royale except PG!'"

To be fair to "Hunger Games" writer Suzanne Collins, she claims she wasn't familiar with the story — which was a book before it was a film — when she wrote her novel. Speaking with The New York Times in 2011, she claimed that someone told her about the book after she wrote "The Hunger Games," but her editor told her not to read it, so her story wouldn't be influenced.

Quentin Tarantino's films have a unique tone and a strong POV, and many of his favorite filmmakers have similarly distinct stylistic approaches to the medium. Considering his diverse movie tastes, you might be surprised to find that Tarantino has beef with beloved arthouse filmmaker David Lynch. Specifically, Tarantino has expressed his distaste for "Fire Walk With Me," Lynch's "Twin Peaks" prequel film.

Speaking with LA Weekly in 1992, Tarantino said, "I'm not ragging on other people, but after I saw 'Twin Peaks — Fire Walk With Me' at Cannes, David Lynch has disappeared so far up his own ass that I have no desire to see another David Lynch movie until I hear something different. And you know, I loved him. I loved him." He also directed his ire at Gus Van Sant, suggesting that he had "become a parody of himself" after "My Own Private Idaho."

Though "Fire Walk With Me" isn't universally revered, it's beloved by many, especially in recent years. /Film's Danielle Ryan calls it a "feminist masterpiece ahead of its time," noting that it forces the viewer to reckon with Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) as a complex human being rather than simply another dead girl on screen.

A devout iconoclast, Quentin Tarantino isn't afraid of criticizing movies – whether he's seen them or not. During an episode of his podcast, Bret Easton Ellis asked Tarantino about "Dune: Part Two," which some had proclaimed was the best movie of the year. Tarantino didn't agree or disagree with these critics, because he never saw the film, and doesn't intend to. "I saw [David Lynch's] 'Dune' a couple of times. I don't need to see that story again," he proclaimed. "I don't need to see spice worms. I don't need to see a movie that says the word 'spice' so dramatically," he went on.

Tarantino's apathy about Denis Villeneuve's "Dune" films stems from his larger distaste for the number of remakes being made in Hollywood today. He name-dropped "Ripley" and "Shōgun" as two other remakes he refuses to see because the stories have been done too many times. "I don't care if they take me and put me in ancient Japan in a time machine. I don't care, I've seen the story," he said of the new "Shōgun" series.

Of course, it's not like Denis Villeneuve needs Quentin Tarantino's approval. The great Steven Spielberg praised "Dune: Part 2," calling it "one of the most brilliant science-fiction films [he's] ever seen." His praise is especially meaningful considering how much Villeneuve's films have been influenced by Spielberg.

Can you imagine what "Scream" would have been like if Quentin Tarantino directed it? It's hard to wrap your head around, but it's something he's considered. In an interview with Vulture, Lane Brown asked Tarantino about his opinion on franchises, wondering if there were any he would be interested in directing. "I could have imagined doing the first 'Scream.' The Weinsteins were trying to get Robert Rodriguez to do it. I don't even think they thought I would be interested," he responded.

Unsurprisingly, Tarantino had an opinion about how the film turned out. "I actually didn't care for Wes Craven's direction of it. I thought he was the iron chain attached to its ankle that kept it earthbound and stopped it from going to the moon," he explained. Considering his criticism of Craven, one wonders if Tarantino is salty that he was never asked to direct the project.

We don't have much knowledge about what Craven thought of Tarantino's films, but Craven did respond to one of his movies in a way that gave him bragging rights. The torture scene in "Reservoir Dogs" disturbed Wes Craven so much that he walked out of the film, though Tarantino wasn't phased by the reaction. "It never bothered me when people walked out; it just meant that scene worked," he told Rolling Stone in 1994.

Considered one of the founders of the French New Wave, filmmaker François Truffaut is revered among cinephiles. However, Quentin Tarantino doesn't agree with his movie-loving peers. In an episode of the "Video Archives Podcast" (via IndieWire), Taranto explained his dislike of the respected director. "[Chabrol's] thrillers are drastically better than the abysmal Truffaut-Hitchcock movies, which I think are just awful," he said of Truffaut's later-career films. He noted that he's "not a Truffaut fan that much anyway," calling him "a very passionate, bumbling amateur."

In Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" novel, the character Cliff Booth seems to reflect his opinions about Truffaut. "The first film, 'The 400 Blows,' left him cold. He really didn't understand why that little boy did half the s*** he did," Tarantino wrote. "And he thought the mopey dopes in 'Jules and Jim' were a f****** drag," he continued.

Despite Tarantino's professed aversion to Truffaut's films, fans have made connections between the two directors' work. Some have suggested that in "Pulp Fiction," Jules, played by Samuel L. Jackson, and Jimmy, the cameo character played by Tarantino, are references to Truffaut's film "Jules and Jim," though the director has neither confirmed nor denied this assumption.