Quentin Tarantino Blasts Hollywood, Then Backs Netflix’s New Action Thriller

Quentin Tarantino’s not exactly shy about his opinions, is he? The bloke’s built his entire career on films that are anything but subtle, and now he’s apparently taken a break from making movies to give the entire Hollywood machine a right old kicking. In a recent piece for Sight and Sound, Tarantino pulled absolutely no punches when describing what he thinks of modern cinema – spoiler: it’s mostly rubbish.

Tarantino’s Beef With New Films

Turns out, Tarantino finds it almost impossible to watch new films these days without just tearing them to bits in his head. He’s far happier curling up with a book. That, in itself, tells you a lot. In his own words, current mainstream movies come out of what he calls a 'flavorless sausage factory'. According to him, the creative decisions behind most of the stuff we’re seeing at the multiplex are dire – we’re talking relentless crowd-pleasing, bizarre casting, and scripts that fall apart if you so much as poke them.

Here’s how he put it in the essay:

'Flaws, implausibilities, audience pandering, miscast performers or just plain stupid sh*t usually torpedoes every new movie coming out of the flavorless sausage factory that used to call itself Hollywood. 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.'

Don’t say he isn’t direct. According to Tarantino, the last handful of years in film make the infamously spotty 1980s look wildly inspired. And that’s really saying something.

A Few Shrugs, One Big Exception

Despite the wall-to-wall negativity, he did admit there are occasional exceptions. He actually enjoyed Spielberg’s West Side Story remake (2021) and Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga – that’s both parts, out in 2024. But, as he sees it, nothing has properly swept him off his feet in years – and considering how he raves about classic movies, that’s a damning charge.

'The Rip' – Tarantino’s Pick Of The Bunch

Then there’s The Rip. If you’ve not heard of it, don’t feel bad – but to Tarantino, it’s head and shoulders above the crowd. Written and directed by Joe Carnahan, The Rip dropped on Netflix back in January, starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon trading police badges. It quickly took off, earning a tonne of viewers (over 41 million just in the first three days) and the sort of reviews that most Netflix thrillers can only dream of – 77% on Rotten Tomatoes last time I checked.

Tarantino did more than faintly praise it – he went to town on how good he thought it was. Here’s the quote:

'A suspenseful new movie has come out that did grab me and held me for its entire duration. 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: 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.'

For context, The Rip centres on a Miami narcotics squad whose world goes sideways after they stumble on $20 million in cartel money during what’s supposed to be a standard bust. Unsurprisingly, greed and paranoia flood in, and suddenly no one’s sure which colleagues they can actually trust.

The Tarantino Scorecard (So Far)

• Enjoys: West Side Story (2021), Horizon: An American Saga (2024), and The Rip (2026)
• Hates: Pretty much everything else from the last six years
• Currently Doing: Not making movies, having scrapped what was meant to be his tenth and final feature. Instead, he’s off prepping his debut stage play
• Official Film Count: 9, because he counts both Kill Bill films as a single entry

With Tarantino on creative hiatus and casting shade everywhere, it’s anyone’s guess when – or if – he’ll step behind the camera again.