Quentin Tarantino is fed up with the movie industry.
In a surprise interview at the Sundance Film Festival on Monday, the legendary director took aim at Hollywood and streaming services for contributing to the death of the cinematic experience.
Speaking to film critic Elvis Mitchell at Main Street in Park City, Utah, the iconic Pulp Fiction director admonished the state of Hollywood filmmaking in 2025.
“What the f--- is a movie now? Something that plays in theaters for a token release for four f---in’ weeks, and by the second week you can watch it on television? I didn’t get into all this for diminishing returns,” Tarantino told Mitchell.
The Jackie Brown director said that theatrical releases have gotten “drastically worse” since his last film debuted, labeling them a “show pony exercise” before the movie inevitably ends up on a streaming service.
Tarantino said his final film would not be coming out any time soon, and he was instead happy spending his time these days writing and being a father.
“I’m in no hurry to actually jump into production of a movie,” Tarantino said. “I’ve been doing that for 30 years. And I’m really kind of just enjoying being a man of letters right now.”
Tarantino’s last film, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, was released in 2019—the year the director later deemed “the last f---in’ year of movies.” He wrote and published a novelization of the same film in 2021.
Tarantino said he was now in the process of writing a play, which he expects will be a “challenge,” but seemed much more excited about his prospects in the world of theater. He even teased that his upcoming play might end up turning into his final movie if it goes over well.
“Yeah, [theatergoers] pay a lot of f---in’ money to get in that seat. But there’s no f---in’ taping it, there’s no f---in’ cellphones—hello everybody with a cellphone,” the director laughed, pointing out the audience members recording the interview. “You own the audience for that time. For that moment, they are all yours. They are in the palm of your hand. And it’s not just about doing art, it’s about wowing them. It’s about giving them a great night out that made it worth it for them. Now that to me is f---ing exciting.”
