Quentin Tarantino Names His Surprising Choice for the Best Movie of the 21st Century
Ewan McGregor in ‘Black Hawk Down’; Quentin Tarantino.
Credit:
Moviestore/Shutterstock; Gilbert Flores/WWD via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Quentin Tarantino recently appeared on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast to discuss his favorite films of the 21st century.
- He described his top pick as having been so intense upon first viewing that it “stopped working” for him later on.
- Other films in his top ten include Dunkirk, There Will Be Blood, Shaun of the Dead, and Midnight in Paris.
As the end of 2025 approaches and the 21st century advances, Quentin Tarantino is reflecting on his favorite films from the past 25 years.
The renowned director, 62, was featured on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast on December 2, where he shared his insights on favored films with host Bret Easton Ellis, known for the novel American Psycho. Among his picks was a notable choice: Ridley Scott’s 2001 war drama, Black Hawk Down, which he named as his top film of the century thus far.
Tarantino stated, “I liked it when I first saw it, but I actually think it was so intense that it stopped working for me, and I didn’t carry it with me the way that I should’ve.” The film features a star-studded cast, including Ewan McGregor, Josh Hartnett, Eric Bana, Tom Sizemore, Jason Isaacs, Tom Hardy, and Orlando Bloom, portraying American soldiers involved in a critical battle during the Somali civil war in 1993. The film was awarded two Oscars in 2002 for Best Sound and Best Film Editing.
He further remarked that Black Hawk Down uniquely captures a sense of purpose and visual intensity reminiscent of Apocalypse Now. “I watched it again recently… my heart was going [pounding noises] through the entire running time of the movie. It had me and it never let me go,” he added.
Quentin Tarantino on Oct. 19, 2024.
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
In addition to Black Hawk Down, Tarantino also identified Toy Story 3, the third installment of Pixar’s beloved franchise, and Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation as his second and third favorites of the last 25 years. He described the final moments of Toy Story 3 as emotionally devastating, stating, “That last five minutes ripped my f—— heart out, and if I even try to describe the end, I will start crying and get choked up.” Regarding Lost in Translation, he noted, “I hadn’t really seen that girly a movie in a long time, and I hadn’t seen that girly a movie be so well done.”
Beyond his top three, Tarantino’s list also includes Dunkirk, There Will Be Blood, Zodiac, Unstoppable, Mad Max: Fury Road, Shaun of the Dead, and Midnight in Paris.
‘Toy Story 3’; Quentin Tarantino; Scarlett Johansson in ‘Lost in Translation’.
Disney/Pixar; Kevin Winter/Getty; Yoshio Sato/Focus Features
Last releasing Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood in 2019, Tarantino indicated he may not make his much-anticipated 10th film until his son Leo, now 5, is older. At a January 2025 Sundance Film Festival appearance, he stated he likely wouldn’t begin this project until Leo is “at least 6 years old,” explaining, “That way he’ll know what’s going on; he’ll be there, and it will be a memory for the rest of his life.”
