When Quentin Tarantino talks movies, the industry listens—whether you agree with him or not. And this week, the legendary director dropped a surprise on fans and film buffs alike when he unveiled his top ten films of the 21st century, crowning none other than “Black Hawk Down” as the best of the best.
That’s right. Of all the cinematic achievements since the year 2000, it’s Ridley Scott’s gritty, relentless 2001 war epic that sits at the top of Tarantino’s list. On “The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast”, the “Pulp Fiction” director dove deep into why the film hit him so hard—hard enough to revisit it several times over the years. He called it a “masterwork,” comparing its raw power and immersive visuals to “Apocalypse Now”, a comparison that’s not thrown around lightly by someone like Tarantino.
And it wasn’t just a nostalgic pick. Tarantino admitted that the movie was so intense the first time he saw it that it didn’t quite land—at least, not at first. But the more he revisited it, the more its craftsmanship unfolded. According to him, the film sustains a jaw-clenching intensity for nearly three hours, and on his latest rewatch, he said it held him in a vice grip from start to finish.
Of course, Tarantino’s list wasn’t all bullets and war zones. In a move that surprised many, “Toy Story 3” came in second. Yes, the animated tearjerker about toys facing mortality scored nearly as high as a brutal war drama. Why? According to Tarantino, the last five minutes of the film “ripped [his] heart out.” He even admitted that trying to talk about it brings him to the brink of tears. That’s some serious Pixar power.
The rest of the list reads like a who’s who of 21st-century auteurs. Sofia Coppola’s “Lost in Translation”, Nolan’s “Dunkirk”, PTA’s “There Will Be Blood”, Fincher’s “Zodiac”, and George Miller’s “Mad Max: Fury Road” all made the cut. And in classic Tarantino fashion, he even slipped in Tony Scott’s “Unstoppable”—a film often overlooked but clearly respected in his eyes.
But things got even spicier when Tarantino took shots at “The Hunger Games”, accusing the franchise of blatantly ripping off Japan’s “Battle Royale”. He didn’t mince words, saying he couldn’t understand how the original author didn’t sue Suzanne Collins “for every f****** thing she owns.” And in his signature ranty fashion, he threw shade at critics for not calling it out, saying they were too ignorant to spot the similarities because they’d never watched the Japanese cult classic.
That’s Tarantino in a nutshell—brilliant, unfiltered, and always ready to start a debate. Whether it’s naming a war film as the greatest movie of the century or taking aim at Hollywood’s sacred cows, he’s going to say what he thinks. And love him or hate him, he knows his movies.
So there you have it. Tarantino’s cinematic taste spans war epics, animated heartbreakers, high-octane action, and genre-defining dramas. And once again, he’s made sure we’re all talking about film like it matters—because to him, it always has.
