The seven iconic films Quentin Tarantino calls "perfect"

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The seven iconic films that Quentin Tarantino calls “perfect”

Tue 1 November 2022 17:00, UK

Quentin Tarantino is responsible for converting many uninitiated film enthusiasts into proper cinephiles. While he has made cult classics such as Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, which are beloved by fans all over the world, Tarantino has also acted as a guide into the world of cinema on multiple occasions.

The revered filmmaker has curated many lists of his influences throughout his career, especially because many critics have often accused him of borrowing from his predecessors. Ranging from Asian cinema to Australian exploitation flicks, Tarantino has been inspired by a wide range of cinematic masterpieces.

During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel’s talk show, Tarantino was asked about the films he considers to be “perfect”. While pointing out that perfection is hard to achieve, the director responded: “Well, there’s not many of them – that just bemoans that the film art form is hard.

Tarantino elaborated on his definition of “perfect”, claiming that these films transcend personal preferences: “Look, when you say perfect movies, you’re talking about any individual person’s aesthetic but even trying to account for all aesthetics… perfect movies kind of crosses all aesthetics to one degree or another.”

Initially, Tarantino claimed that Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was one of the only “perfect” films in Hollywood history. Eventually, he added other classics, such as Steven Spielberg’s Jaws and Woody Allen’s Annie Hall, to the list.

Check out the full list below.

7 films Quentin Tarantino calls “perfect”

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
Jaws (Steven Spielberg, 1975)
The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973)
Annie Hall (Woody Allen, 1977)
Young Frankenstein (Mel Brooks, 1974)
Back To The Future (Robert Zemeckis, 1985)
The Wild Bunch (Sam Peckinpah, 1969)

In addition to these excellent recommendations, Tarantino’s interview with Kimmel made the headlines for another reason. Recently, Kanye West claimed that Tarantino had stolen the idea of Django Unchained from the rapper, but the filmmaker maintained that wasn’t the case.

Tarantino clarified: “There’s no truth to the idea that Kanye West came up with the idea of Django and then he told that to me, and I go, ‘Hey, wow, that’s a really great idea. Let me take Kanye’s idea and make Django Unchained out of it.’ That didn’t happen.”