For as long as he’s been famous, Tarantino’s opinions (and his particular ways of sharing them) have riled up fans.

Quentin Tarantino controversy explained: Why the director is criticizing beloved actors (and who came to their defense)

For as long as he's been famous, Tarantino's opinions (and his particular ways of sharing them) have riled up fans.

By Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn

Randall Colburn is a writer and editor at **. His work has previously appeared on *The A.V. Club, The Guardian, The Ringer*, and many other publications.

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December 5, 2025 5:30 p.m. ET

Quentin Tarantino arrives to receive the Vanguard Award at the Burbank International Film Festival Gala Honoring Quentin Tarantino at Marriott Convention Center on Sept. 28, 2025, in Burbank, Calif. Credit:

Kevin Winter/Getty

- Quentin Tarantino is making waves for remarks he made about actors Paul Dano and Owen Wilson in a recent interview.

- Several A-listers, including Ben Stiller and Alec Baldwin, have come to Dano's defense over the past few days.

- Tarantino's controversial comments came as he was sharing his top 20 films of the 21st century so far.

We've got to hand it to Quentin Tarantino. After three decades of voicing his opinions in Hollywood, he's still making people mad.

The Oscar-winning filmmaker behind modern-day classics like *Pulp Fiction* (1994) and *Inglourious Basterds *(2009)* *is now courting controversy thanks to his chat with another Bret Easton Ellis, the author of *American Psycho* (1991) and *The Shards* (2023).

The pair linked up on the. Nov. 25 and Dec. 2 episodes of Ellis' excellent *The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast *to discuss Tarantino's top 20 films of the 21st century so far. While the his predictably atypical picks prompted discourse among cinephiles, it was his acerbic takes on some particularly beloved actors that sent film fans and Hollywood hotshots alike into a tizzy.

Below, we break down the latest Quentin Tarantino discourse.

Why are people mad at Quentin Tarantino?

Quentin Tarantino attends the 24th GQ Men of the Year Awards at Tate Modern on Sept. 1, 2021, in London.

David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty

Tarantino is among the most openly opinionated artists in Hollywood, known for scoffing at established classics and institutions while elevating maligned art he finds worthy of reappraisal.

In the Ellis interview, Tarantino disparaged several veteran actors typically considered to be among the more professional, talented, and likable in the industry. Chief among them is Paul Dano, an Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated performer who's worked with many of the best filmmakers working today, from Steven Spielberg and Bong Joon Ho to Steve McQueen and Denis Villeneuve.

It was Dano's gonzo, hugely-lauded performance as Eli Sunday (and his brother Paul) in Paul Thomas Anderson's Oscar-winning film *There Will Be Blood* (2007) that rankled Tarantino. Speaking with Ellis, he called Dano "the weakest male actor in SAG [Screen Actors Guild]" and "the limpest dick in the world."

Quentin Tarantino trashes 'weak sauce' 'There Will Be Blood' star: 'The weakest male actor in SAG'

Josh Hutcherson responds to Quentin Tarantino saying 'Hunger Games' 'ripped off' another movie

*There Will Be Blood* took the 5th slot in Tarantino's top 20, but he told Ellis it would've been higher if not for Dano's performance. "*There Will Be Blood *would stand a better chance to be in number 1 or number 2 if it didn't have a big giant flaw in it, and the flaw is Paul Dano," he said, adding that the actor couldn't stand up against Daniel Day-Lewis' titanic Daniel Plainview. "Obviously, it's supposed to be a two-hander, and it's also so drastically obvious that it's not a two-hander."

He continued, "He is weak sauce, man. He's a weak sister," he said. "[Dano] just such a weak, weak, uninteresting guy."

When Ellis asked if Tarantino liked Dano in any other films, Tarantino took an opportunity to trash two other actors. "I don't care for him, I don't care for Owen Wilson, and I don't care for Matthew Lillard," he said.**

Owen Wilson in 2025; Matthew Lillard in 2021.

Slaven Vlasic/Getty; Amy Sussman/Getty

Taking aim at Wilson and Lillard is striking for a few reasons. The first is how generally amiable they've proven to be both on and off the screen. While it's certainly fine to dislike their acting styles, which are distinct, a full-throated declaration of dislike is nevertheless surprising.

The second is that Tarantino has Woody Allen's *Midnight in Paris* (2011), a comedy starring Wilson, in his top 10 films of the century.

"I spent the first time watching the movie loving it and hating him," Tarantino told Ellis of his time with *Midnight in Paris*. "The second time I watched the movie, I was like, 'Ah, okay, don't be such a prick. He's not so bad. He's not so bad.' And then the third time I watched it, I found myself only watching him."

Representatives for Dano, Wilson, and Lillard did not respond to **'s request for comment.

As if that weren't enough, Tarantino made no shortage of Gen Z enemies when he criticized Suzanne Collins' hugely popular *Hunger Games* franchise for, he claims, seemingly ripping off the 2000 film *Battle Royale* (and the book on which it's based). Some say it's a fair criticism, as, much like *The Hunger Games*, *Battle Royale* centers on a young population forced to fight to the death by an authoritarian government.

"*Battle Royale* is based on a novel. I do not understand how the Japanese writer didn’t sue Suzanne Collins for every f---ing thing she owns," Tarantino said. "They just ripped off the f---ing book!" (In 2011, Collins told the *New York Times* she wasn't aware of the novel or movie until finishing her own book.)**

Who’s defending Paul Dano?

Paul Dano at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on Aug. 31, 2025.

Marilla Sicilia/Archivio Marilla Sicilia/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty

A number of A-list actors and directors have come to Dano's defense after Tarantino's comments.

One was Matt Reeves, the co-writer and director of *The Batman* (2022), in which Dano played the Riddler. "Paul Dano is an incredible actor, and an incredible person," he wrote in a post on X.

Ben Stiller, who directed the actor in 2018's *Escape at Dannemora, *also shared a pro-Dano post on X, writing, "Paul Dano is f-ing brilliant."

Alex Baldwin chimed in via a video posted to his Instagram, proclaiming, "I just want to say I love Paul Dano. And if you don't love Paul Dano, shh."

Other celebrities who've shared their love for Dano over the past several days include Josh Gad and Simu Liu.

One of the more compelling defenses came from actress Colleen Foy, who plays the sister of Dano's Eli in *There Will Be Blood. "*His incredible performance speaks for itself," she wrote in a post on Threads. "I sat behind Quentin Tarantino at the Cast & Crew screening and he was legit vibing with Paul’s performance. His recent comments are incongruent with his reaction that night."

What are Tarantino’s top 20 movies of the century?

'Black Hawk Down'.

Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

After all this talk of Tarantino's 20 favorite movies of the 21st century so far, you may be curious about his picks. Some, like *Zodiac* and *Mad Max: Fury Road *are the kind of picks you're likely to find on several critics' lists. Others, however, are more suprising.

Placing Ridley Scott's *Black Hawk Down*, a war film EW previously criticized for reducing its characters to "adrenaline-rush fodder," is certainly a choice. Tarantino's inclusion of movies by now-controversial figures like Allen and Mel Gibson have raised eyebrows in certain circles, as has his choice to rank Eli Roth's *Cabin Fever* higher than Spielberg's *West Side Story*.

But for anyone who's been regularly following Tarantino's work and reading his interviews over the past few decades, his list is consistent with his taste and passions. The director has been shouting out Tony Scott's *Unstoppable* and the thriller *Big Bad Wolves*.

See the full list below:**

- *Black Hawk Down* (2001), directed by Ridley Scott

- *Toy Story 3* (2010), directed by Lee Unkrich

- *Lost in Translation* (2003), directed by Sophia Coppola

- *Dunkirk* (2017), directed by Christopher Nolan

- *There Will Be Blood* (2007), directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

- *Zodiac* (2007), directed by David Fincher

- *Unstoppable* (2010), directed by Tony Scott

- *Mad Max: Fury Road* (2015), directed by George Miller

- *Shaun of the Dead* (2004), directed by Edgar Wright

- *Midnight in Paris* (2011), directed by Woody Allen

- *Battle Royale* (2000), directed by Kinji Fukasaku

- *Big Bad Wolves* (2013), directed by Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado

- *Jackass: The Movie* (2002), directed by Jeff Tremaine

- *School of Rock* (2003), directed by Richard Linklater

- *The Passion of the Christ* (2004), directed by Mel Gibson

- *The Devil’s Rejects* (2005), directed by Rob Zombie

- *Chocolate* (2008), directed by Prachya Pinkaew

- *Moneyball* (2011), directed by Bennett Miller

- *Cabin Fever* (2002), directed by Eli Roth

- *West Side Story* (2021), directed by Steven Spielberg**

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