Quentin Tarantino Says We're Living in One of 'the Worst Eras' in Moviegoing History

Mar. 15, 2025

Quentin Tarantino.Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty

Quentin Tarantinodoes not think modern moviegoing culture is in a good place.

Inlast Tuesday’s episodeof the auteur director’sVideo Archives Podcastwith cohost andPulp Fictioncowriter Roger Avary, Tarantino, 59, expressed that he feels current-day movie offerings from Hollywood are up there with some of the worst decades in American film history.

“Even though the ’80s was the time that I probably saw more movies in my life than ever, at least as far as going out to the movies was concerned, I do feel that ’80s cinema is, along with the ’50s, the worst era in Hollywood history,” the director said during the episode.

Tarantino added some nuance to his opinion on modern films, sharing that he finds “the good thing about being in a bad era of Hollywood cinema is the ones that don’t conform, the ones that stand out from the pack,” can receive deserving acclaim.

Though the famous director’s thoughts on modern-day moviegoing are clear, he has found some movies that “stand out from the pack” in recent months.

In August, Tarantino offered praise forTom Cruise’sTop Gun: Maverickduring an interview for CinemaBlend’sReelBlendpodcast in whichhe said he “f—ing loved” the movieand saw it in the theater.

Vivien Killilea/Getty

“Normally I don’t talk about new movies that much because then I’m only forced to say good things, or else I’m slamming someone. And I don’t want to do that. But in this case, If—ing loveTop Gun: Maverick. I thought it was fantastic,” said Tarantino.

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“That and[Steven] Spielberg’sWest Side Storyboth provided a true cinematic spectacle, the kind that I’d almost thought that I wasn’t going to see anymore,” he added at the time.

“I love both Tony Scott’s cinema so much, and I love Tony so much that that’s as close as we’re ever going to get to seeing one more Tony Scott movie,” Tarantino said. “[Koskinski, 48] did a great job.”

Hewent on to say thathe could see nods to Scott, who died in 2012 at age 68, “almost in every decision” throughoutMaverick, explaining, “It was consciously right there, but in this really cool way that was really respectful.”

“And I think it was in every decision [Cruise, 60] made in the film,” Tarantino said.

source: people.com