Quentin Tarantino is known for having a passion and knowledge for cinema, especially B-movies, exploitation films, and obscure cult classics from the 1970s. Their influence can be felt in all of his movies, which famously include many pop culture references. But when asked to chose a “best movie of all time” in a recent podcast, he was able to narrow it down to just one.
The history of film can be felt in all of Tarantino’s work – from the fact that he called his neo-noir Pulp Fiction, to the Blaxploitation star Pam Grier being cast in Jackie Brown (a reference to her most famous role as Foxy Brown), to kung-fu movies in Kill Bill (including the casting of David Carradine and Sonny Chiba), and spaghetti westerns in The Hateful Eight.
When asked to name his favourite movie on the CinemaBlend podcast, Tarantino emphasized the difference between a movie and a film; “There are other movies that can get in its rarefied air. But as far as a movie, there’s no making it better than Jaws,” he claimed before explaining that while it’s not a masterclass in film, he feels it’s a well-directed movie that revolutionised how audiences and industry professionals view adventure movies and blockbuster productions.
To be honest, it’s surprising that Tarantino made such a popular choice for what he considers the best movie of all time, as you might expect him to pull out an obscure low-budget movie, such as something that could have influenced 2007’s Death Proof.
Jaws is still from the 1970s though, which is still very on-brand for Tarantino. Jaws combines the best of 70s authentic acting, with some great cinematography and that iconic score, with the beginnings of blockbuster action movie-making. Tarantino’s most recent movie – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – was set in an alternative version of 1969, surrounding the murder of Sharon Tate.
Check out our guide to the best Steven Spielberg movies.