Quentin Tarantino Unveils His Top 10 Films of This Century

Quentin Tarantino has shared his personal selection of the ten most outstanding films to have graced cinema screens since the turn of the millennium, surprising many with his number one choice. The celebrated filmmaker made his picks public during a conversation on The Brett Easton Ellis Podcast, where he sat down with the author of American Psycho to discuss his cinematic preferences from the last 25 years.

Last week, Tarantino had already teased audiences by revealing the lower half of his extended list, covering positions twenty through eleven. That segment included such varied entries as Battle Royale, Moneyball, and Steven Spielberg’s contemporary take on West Side Story. Now, however, he has disclosed the ten films he holds in the highest regard, with Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down emerging as his ultimate favourite.

Black Hawk Down: A Modern Masterwork

When speaking about the 2001 war epic, Tarantino was effusive in his praise.

I think it’s a masterwork, and one of the things I love so much about it is […] this is the only film that actually goes completely for an Apocalypse Now sense of purpose and visual effect and feeling, and I think it achieves it.

He went on to say,

It keeps up the intensity for two hours 45 minutes, or whatever it is, and I watched it again recently. My heart was going through the entire runtime of the film; it had me and never let me go, and I hadn’t seen it in a while. The feat of direction is beyond extraordinary.

His admiration for Scott’s direction and the film’s relentless pace was clear, marking it as a standout among contemporary war dramas.

Animated Gems and Intimate Dramas

Among the other films to make Tarantino’s top ten, Toy Story 3 received particular mention. He described the animated feature as

almost a perfect film

and confessed that it

ripped my fucking heart out

. Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation also featured prominently, with Tarantino joking,

I fell so much in love with Lost in Translation that I fell in love with Sofia Coppola and made her my girlfriend.

These choices reflect his appreciation for both technical brilliance and emotional resonance, whether found in animation or understated drama.

Eclectic Choices Round Out the List

The remainder of Tarantino’s top ten is as eclectic as one might expect. He included Mad Max: Fury Road, a high-octane action spectacle, as well as the offbeat comedy Shaun of the Dead and Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris. Each film, in its own way, demonstrates a distinctive vision and a commitment to craft that clearly resonates with Tarantino’s own sensibilities.

Here is the full list of Quentin Tarantino’s top ten films of the 21st century so far:

1. Black Hawk Down
2. Toy Story 3
3. Lost In Translation
4. Dunkirk
5. There Will Be Blood
6. Zodiac
7. Unstoppable
8. Mad Max: Fury Road
9. Shaun of the Dead
10. Midnight in Paris