Quentin Tarantino Names Inglourious Basterds His Best Film

Legendary filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has finally revealed which of his own movies he considers his best—and his answer might surprise even his most loyal fans. Despite winning two Academy Awards for Pulp Fiction (1994) and Django Unchained (2012), neither of those screenplays tops his personal list.

In a recent episode of The Church of Tarantino podcast, the 62-year-old director declared Inglourious Basterds (2009) as his best film and Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019) as his personal favorite. He also called Kill Bill his “ultimate” Tarantino movie—one that reflects his purest creative identity.

A Filmmaker’s Self-Reflection

Discussing his filmography, Tarantino said, “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood is my favorite, Inglourious Basterds is my best, but Kill Bill is the movie only I could have made.” The director described Kill Bill—the two-part saga starring Uma Thurman as an assassin seeking revenge—as the film he was “born to make.”

He praised Inglourious Basterds for its craftsmanship and storytelling, calling it his masterpiece. The 2009 World War II film, starring Brad Pitt and Christoph Waltz, follows a group of Jewish-American soldiers plotting to assassinate Nazi leaders. The movie earned Waltz an Academy Award and became one of Tarantino’s most acclaimed works.

Tarantino admitted that each of these films represents a different stage in his creative evolution. Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, he said, was the most personal, blending nostalgia and fantasy to reflect his deep affection for the late 1960s film industry.

Lessons from Early Mistakes

Although Tarantino is known for his perfectionism, he admitted that some of his earliest projects—particularly Reservoir Dogs (1992) and Pulp Fiction (1994)—contain moments he now views as amateurish. “The only thing that bites me are a few little shots,” he confessed, referring to visible boom shadows, equipment, and stage markings.

While he still cherishes those films, he acknowledged that his inexperience at the time led to minor technical flaws. “It takes at least two movies to figure out how to do it,” he joked, emphasizing how growth comes from trial and error.

Looking Ahead

Tarantino also discussed his next project, The Adventures of Cliff Booth, which has just begun filming. The movie expands on the story of Brad Pitt’s character from Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood—a stuntman navigating fame, violence, and redemption in 1970s Los Angeles.

Fans have long speculated about Tarantino’s tenth and supposedly final film. While many believed it would be The Movie Critic, the director confirmed he has scrapped that project, explaining that his enthusiasm faded during pre-production. “I pulled the plug on it,” he said. “I loved writing it, but I wasn’t excited about bringing it to life.”

For now, Tarantino seems focused on closing his career with a project that encapsulates his passion for storytelling and film history. Whether or not The Adventures of Cliff Booth marks his farewell to directing, it’s clear the filmmaker continues to shape his legacy on his own terms—bold, unapologetic, and unmistakably Tarantino.