Quentin Tarantino Reveals His Choice for the Best Movie of the 21st Century — and It's Surprising

As 2025 draws to a close, Quentin Tarantino is reflecting on his favorite movies released over the past 25 years. The acclaimed director appeared on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast on December 2, sharing his picks with the author and screenwriter known for American Psycho.

To the surprise of many film enthusiasts, Tarantino named Ridley Scotts 2001 war drama Black Hawk Down as his top film of the century so far. "I liked it when I first saw it, but it was so intense that it didnt fully work for me at the time," he explained. The film, depicting American soldiers whose helicopter is downed during the 1993 Somali civil war, features a star-studded cast including Ewan McGregor, Josh Hartnett, Eric Bana, Tom Sizemore, Jason Isaacs, Tom Hardy, and Orlando Bloom. It earned two Academy Awards for Best Sound and Best Film Editing.

Tarantino praised Black Hawk Down for its immersive intensity, calling it "the only movie that goes completely for an Apocalypse Now-style sense of purpose and visual impact." He added, "Watching it again recently, my heart was racing the entire time. It gripped me from start to finish."

In addition to Black Hawk Down, Tarantino highlighted Toy Story 3 and Sofia Coppolas 2003 drama Lost in Translation as his second and third favorite films of the past quarter-century. Reflecting on Toy Story 3, he said, "The last five minutes tore my heart out. Trying to describe it would make me choke up." About Lost in Translation, he noted, "Its rare to see such a delicate, girly movie executed so perfectly."

Rounding out his top ten 21st-century films, Tarantino included: Dunkirk, There Will Be Blood, Zodiac, Unstoppable, Mad Max: Fury Road, Shaun of the Dead, and Midnight in Paris.

Tarantinos most recent film, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019), starred Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and Leonardo DiCaprio. Pitt will return as Cliff Booth in a spinoff written by Tarantino and directed by David Fincher, scheduled for release in 2026. Earlier this year, Tarantino mentioned he plans to wait until his son is older before making his 10th and reportedly final movie, ensuring the child can fully experience the moment.

Author: Gavin Porter