If there’s one thing you can always count on from Quentin Tarantino, it’s that he’ll say exactly what’s on his mind, whether anyone asked for it or not. This time, his target isn’t Paul Dano; It’s modern Hollywood itself, and the movies that have been filling theaters over the last few years. Writing for Sight & Sound magazine (via Variety), Tarantino said that “it’s almost impossible” for him to watch a new movie without picking it “to death.” However, there are a couple of exceptions, one of which had me scratching my head a bit.
Tarantino on Modern Movies
“I loved going to the movies. These days, however, the concept of what is a movie is more inclined to inspire contempt in me than generosity,” he wrote. “Which is fair enough, because by comparison the movies of the last six years make the ‘80s seem like the ‘30s. I’ve seen movies I’ve liked since then — ‘West Side Story (2021); ‘Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1 & 2,’ a few others, but nothing that really held me in its grip, and swept me away fo to the magical land of enjoyment that I used to visit and was the reason why I loved movies above all artforms. These days I’d rather read a book.“
So, which recent movie held Tarantino’s interest? Joe Carnahan’s The Rip. Starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, the film deals with a Tactical Narcotics Unit that is tipped off about what they believe will be a poorly guarded stash house. Once they arrive, they realize more than $20 million in drug money has been stashed there—and that someone on their own team may have plans to rip it off.
“However, a new movie has now come out that did grab me and held me for its entire duration: Joe Carnahan’s ‘The RIP,’ starring the dynamic duo of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck,” Tarantino explained. “The film is an exciting cop thriller with a novel premise that manages to deliver the goods in really clever ways. The whole package worked for me: Carnahan’s direction, the splendid cast, the look of the film (courtesy of cinematographer Juan Miguel Azpiroz)-but the real powerhouse component of this splendid collection is the sensational screenplay by Carnahan and Michael McGrale.“
He added, “It’s been such a while since I saw a truly satisfying cop flick that I practically forgot what it felt like. ‘The RIP’ doesn’t just invoke that type of film fondly; it’s one of the finest examples.“
I enjoyed The Rip for what it was. I had a good time with it, but was there really no other movie released in the last six years that stood out for Tarantino?
What’s Next for Tarantino?
We’re still waiting for what will apparently be Tarantino’s tenth and final movie, but the director is working on a different project to fill the gap: a play
Titled The Popinjay Cavalier, the play has been described as a “swashbuckling comedy” set in the 1830s and will be produced by Sonia Friedman Productions and Sony Pictures Entertainment. The press release calls it “a rambunctious comedy of deception and disguise inspired by the grand swashbuckling epics of stage and screen.“ Tarantino has been planning to premiere it in London on the West End. The official premiere date is yet to be announced, but it is being developed for an early 2027 debut.
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