For years, Quentin Tarantino has promised that his tenth feature film would be his last, and now, it’s finally coming up, and it’s titled The Movie Critic.
A large part of me is overjoyed by this news, as it’s rare when a creative actually has the determination to know when to quit while they’re still ahead (we saw it with Daniel Day Lewis when it came to Phantom Thread).
But, it’s also really distressing knowing that Tarantino COULD still make new movies if he wanted to, but that he’s decided to ride off into the sunset instead.
Obviously, I have mixed feelings about this, so here is as good a place as any to voice my opinions, right?
Why I’m Overjoyed: Tarantino, The Master Filmmaker That He Is, Will Be Going Out On His Own Terms
Tarantino is not my favorite director (that would be Stanley Kubrick), but there’s no denying that he is one-of-a-kind. He’s what cineastes like to call an auteur, the kind of director who has transformed the medium of filmmaking forever. Let’s just put it this way – if you see a Tarantino movie, you KNOW it’s a Tarantino movie. And, if you see a flick that’s LIKE a Tarantino movie, you’d say, “Hey. This feels like a Tarantino movie!”
From his very best film (Pulp Fiction, of course) to what might be his worst, he has relentlessly done things his own way, and we’re all the better for it.
So, it’s downright impressive to hear that he’s really going through with the idea of finishing out his career with 10 movies. I can’t say that I’m in love with the idea (more on that later), but I will say that I admire the man for sticking to his guns. He said that 10 would mark “the last film by Quentin Tarantino,” and now, it looks like he’s holding to that promise. Dammit, if that don’t beat all.
Why I’m Overjoyed: It’s Only Fitting That A Cinephile Like Tarantino Would Close Out His Filmmaking Career With A Movie About Another Cinephile
The only filmmaker I can think of who obsesses over film more than Tarantino is probably Martin Scorsese. But, outside of Marty, I can’t think of another director who’s a bigger film geek than Tarantino. The guy lives, breathes, and possibly even injects films. So, how fitting is it that his last movie is going to be about a movie critic, as who loves movies more than the people who critique them for a living?
As of right now, there’s speculation that “the movie critic” in question could be the esteemed The New Yorker critic, Pauline Kael, and that the movie will take place in the ‘70s.
In that way, I don’t see it being a love letter to cinema like say, Scorsese’s Hugo was, but, more like cinema, Tarantino style with cool dialogue, lots of inside references, and just an appreciation for the time period in general, similar to Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood. And honestly, what more could you possibly want from a film fanatic like Quentin Tarantino?
Why I’m Overjoyed: It’s Another Film Set In The Past, Which Is Tarantino’s Strength
Lastly, can I just say how happy I am that Tarantino is sticking to the past – which is undoubtedly his strength – for his last movie? Sure, a Star Trek movie for his last film might have been interesting (he’s never explored the future, after all), but the past is his playground, and few directors have more fun playing in it.
Just think, the last time Tarantino made a film that was set in the present day, it was for 2007’s Death Proof. And, even calling that a film that takes place in the “present” seems like a bit of a stretch since it feels like it’s stuck in the ‘70s. Hell, it’s actually tough to pinpoint what decade films like Pulp Fiction or Reservoir Dogs are supposed to take place in, as they might be in the ’90s, but they also look and sound like they come from the ‘70s or ’80s. Same with Jackie Brown, which definitely takes place in the ’90s, but intentionally has that ’70s style going for it.
In that way, Kill Bill Vol. 1 feels like Tarantino’s most modern movie, but then Vol. 2 is more like a western in the past than anything else. Then we got four movies that were definitely set in the past, with those being Inglorious Basterds, Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight, and Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood.
So, in that way, it only feels right for Tarantino to be returning to that ’70s vibe that he set with his earlier pictures. It almost feels like coming home for his fans who have been watching his films since day one.
Why I’m Absolutely Devastated: This Means We’ll Never Get That Oft-Rumored Kill Bill Vol. 3 Movie
Okay, enough with the positives. Now let’s get to the reasons why I’m utterly devastated that this is supposedly it for Tarantino. For one thing, whatever happened to Kill Bill Vol. 3? Back in 2020, I wrote an article about why Kill Bill Vol. 3 should be Tarantino’s last movie.
While I don’t know if I still hold that opinion after the wonderful Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, I do still feel like there’s so much lost potential in not seeing The Bride being hunted down by Vernita Green’s daughter. There was even talk (from Vernita’s portrayer, Vivica A. Fox) that the daughter could be played by Zendaya! Now, we’re never going to see that movie? For real?
What about his oft-rumored Vega brothers film, which would have brought Vic Vega (Michael Madsen) from Reservoir Dogs together with his brother, Vincent Vega (John Travolta) from Pulp Fiction? I know there was never anything set in stone for either movie, but with Tarantino capping things at 10 films, it means we’ll probably never get to see them, and that just makes me sad.
Why I’m Absolutely Devastated: Honestly, As Much As I Love His Filmography As Is, The Idea Of No More Tarantino Movies Just Brings Me Down
Lastly, it goes without saying, but WHY DOES TARANTINO HAVE TO END AT ONLY 10 MOVIES? I know, I know, I just spent a lot of time saying how I’m happy that he can end on his own terms, and that I’m “overjoyed” that his last film will be set in the past, but that’s also like saying I’d be “overjoyed” if my wife left me for another man and it ended up being her soulmate. In other words, I wouldn’t be overjoyed at all. I’d be happy for her, sure, but miserable at the same time.
I think the movie that really did it for me was The Hateful Eight, actually. I know a lot of people tend to put that movie closer to the bottom when it comes to ranking his films, but for me, it’s honestly my second favorite movie of his, right after Pulp Fiction.
Whereas almost all of Tarantino’s films are small in stature but feel sprawling in nature, The Hateful Eight is the exception. It’s decidedly claustrophobic, and mostly set in one location. It’s also the film that made me realize that he could really do about anything in the world when it came to filmmaking. Just when I thought I had him figured out with Django Unchained, and its pulpy, western tropes, he went and made another western that was nothing like it, making it thrilling in so many different ways.
That’s the Tarantino I love – the one who’s constantly surprising me – and that’s who we’re going to be losing when it comes to making his own feature length films. Le grande sigh!
But, yeah. I’m both happy and sad at the same time, which isn’t a terrible thing at all. What do you think? Are you more happy or sad that Tarantino is exiting stage left from the director’s seat? For more news on the filmmaker, be sure to swing by here often.