Quentin Tarantino is regarded as one of the best movie directors in history, known for his outrageous and excessively violent pictures, alternate history storylines, and razor-sharp dialogue. Tarantino’s scrapped 10th movie was meant to be his last, leaving the future of his career and when he will retire up in the air.

Multiple milestones have made this the moment to look back on all of Quentin Tarantino’s movies, and the filmmaker himself recently commented on what he thinks about some of his best works. Tarantino broke onto the scene in the early 1990s with Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, тιтles which still stand out in his filmography.

However, during a recent interview on The Church of Tarantino podcast, Tarantino discussed which of his movies he thinks are particular kinds of “good.” The director believes that Inglourious Basterds is his “best” movie, but Kill Bill is “the ultimate Quentin movie […] the movie [he] was born to make.” Once Upon a Time is Hollywood is then his personal favorite.

Check out Tarantino’s full comments below:

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is my favorite, Inglourious Basterds is my best. But I think Kill Bill is the ultimate Quentin movie, like nobody else could’ve made it. Every aspect about it is so particularly ripped, like with tentacles and bloody tissue, from my imagination and my id and my loves and my pᴀssion and my obsession. So I think Kill Bill is the movie I was born to make, I think Inglourious Basterds is my masterpiece, but Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is my favorite. […]

I think Inglourious Basterds is my best script, and I think Hateful Eight and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood are right behind. But, there’s an aspect of Hateful Eight that I actually think is probably my best directing of my material, i.e., the material is written and it’s solid. So it’s not like I have to create it, like Kill Bill, it’s solid, it’s right there and I actually think it’s my best servicing [of] my material as a director.

Notably, Inglourious Basterds was just named the best Tarantino movie of the century in a poll conducted by The New York Times, surveying hundreds of film industry professionals. Inglourious Basterds ranked as the 14th best movie of the 21st century, while Once Upon a Time in Hollywood came in at no. 44. So, it would seem his peers are in agreement on Tarantino’s personal bests.

What These Comments Mean For Quentin Tarantino’s Legacy

Tarantino seems to have decent self-awareness when it comes to his work, as many critics will name Inglourious Basterds or Once Upon a Time in Hollywood among the director’s top movies. Kill Bill, on the other hand, doesn’t have the same critical clout, but it is a vital piece of Tarantino’s filmography that he will always be remembered for.

As Tarantino may be winding down his time in Hollywood, his comments about his own career become even more impactful, and accurately indicate which of his movies will best stand the test of time. This interview also highlights the range of a creator’s repertoire, as different works serve different purposes, but all contribute to the full picture of a director’s career.

Our Take On Quentin Tarantino’s “Best,” “Favorite,” & “Born To Make” Movies

I would be ready to argue that Pulp Fiction is Tarantino’s best movie (which notably did not come out during the 21st century), but it makes sense that both the director and the rest of Hollywood would name Inglourious Basterds. As for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, everyone’s favorite is, by nature, subjective, but it’s interesting to find out his favorite.

Kill Bill arguably leans more into spectacle and melodrama than complex themes and writing, which is exactly why it is apt to say that only he could have made it, as only he could have come up with these outrageous twists. Fans will have different summations of the career of Quentin Tarantino, but many might actually agree with him on these points.