Quentin Tarantino is widely regarded as one of the greatest directors of his generation. The 63-year-old is responsible for creating some of the most beloved films over the past three-plus decades.
Tarantino’s expansive résumé includes the likes of Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill. More recently, the Knoxville, Tennessee native released critically acclaimed films such as Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight.
Even Tarantino himself, however, has a favorite. In a previous interview on The Church of Tarantino podcast, the writer-director revealed that his most recent film, the 2019 comedy-drama Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, stands out as “my favorite.”
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood follows Rick Dalton, a spaghetti-Western TV actor struggling to remain relevant in the industry. Dalton is played by Leonardo DiCaprio. Starring alongside the Titanic star is Brad Pitt, who portrays Dalton’s best friend and long-time stunt double, Cliff Booth. Margot Robbie joins the ensemble cast to play real-life 1960s actress Sharon Tate.
The film is set in Los Angeles in 1969 and intersects with the true-to-life Manson Family murders.
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood Named One of the ‘Best Movies of the 21st Century’
The New York Times released a comprehensive list of “The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century.” It includes films that were released since Jan. 1, 2000.
Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood is nowhere near the top of the list. That honor belongs to the South Korean black comedy-thriller Parasite.
Tarantino’s favorite film ranks at a respectable No. 44. It lands comfortably in the upper half of the curated list, which is a remarkable achievement among the thousands of films released in the last 26 years.
“Like Martin Scorsese’s New York or Federico Fellini’s Rome, Quentin Tarantino’s Los Angeles is a thing to behold: The director’s fevered love letter to his hometown circa 1969 is a gonzo-maximalist dream, encompassing a fictional fading TV star (Leonardo DiCaprio), his laconic stuntman-sidekick (Brad Pitt), a passel of Manson family freaks and the very real starlet Sharon Tate (played as pure blond sunshine by Margot Robbie). From there, the script breaks with established history, building to one of the most bravura and far-out finales in film history,” The New York Times wrote.
Two more Tarantino masterpieces are part of the Top 100. Kill Bill Vol. 1 is ranked No. 61, while Inglourious Basterdsis all the way up at No. 14.
Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood earned Tarantino his first Academy Award nomination for Best Picture as a producer. The film was also nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Pitt, meanwhile, won his first acting Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
As of this writing, Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood is free to stream on Amazon Prime. It is available for rent on other streaming providers.
Related: Popular Streaming Service Adding Four Iconic Tarantino Films–for Free
This story was originally published by Men’s Journal on Jul 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men’s Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Credit: Source link