Quentin Tarantino reveals modern film that grabbed him as he slams Hollywood

Quentin Tarantino has gone all in about his opinion on Hollywood, and the quality of films it is churning out after confirming a surprising new flick he enjoyed.

Tarantino isn’t shy about telling it like it is, and when it comes to the director, it’s never sugar coated.

Having been in the film industry for decades, and produced acclaimed movies like Kill Bill and Inglourious Basterds, when he talks about the state of the market – people listen.

But as it turns out, he's not a fan of what’s being created these days, and said so in an article written for Sight & Sound magazine, and reported by Variety, noting that ‘it’s almost impossible’ for him to not watch a movie without having to tear into it ‘to death.’

Quentin Tarantino didn't hold back (Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)

However, there was one that stood out from under the rest.

The Rip, a Netflix crime drama that stars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon was released at the start of the year, and while Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 77 per cent rating, Tarantino ranks it high on his watch list.

The flick focuses on two law enforcement officers in the Miami-Dade Police Department that discover corruption within their ranks, and also sees the likes of Steven Yeun, and Kyle Chandler within the cast.

“A suspenseful new movie has come out that did grab me and held me for its entire duration,” Tarantino said of the project, adding: “The film is an exciting cop thriller with a novel premise that manages to deliver the goods in really clever ways. The whole package worked for me: [Joe] Carnahan’s direction, the splendid cast, the look of the film (courtesy of cinematographer Juan Miguel Azpiroz) – but the real powerhouse component of this splendid collection is the sensational screenplay by Carnahan and Michael McGrale.”

He shared his love of the way the film delivered its impact, but when it comes to other recent releases, they didn’t come out unscathed.

He wrote of modern films: “Flaws, implausibilities, audience pandering, miscast performers or just plain stupid s*** usually torpedoes every new movie coming out of the flavorless sausage factory that used to call itself Hollywood.”

The director scathed: “These days, the entire concept of what is a movie is more inclined to inspire contempt in me than generosity. Which is fair enough, because by comparison the movies of the last six years make the 80s seem like the 30s.”

“I’ve seen movies I liked since then – ‘West Side Story’ (2021); ‘Horizon: An American Saga’ Chapter 1 and 2 (both 2024), a few others, but nothing that really held me in its grip and swept me away to the magical land of enjoyment that I use to visit regularly and was the reason I loved movies above all other artforms. These days I’d rather read a book,” he went on to say.

Ouch. Good news for The Rip, though.