Quentin Tarantino’s Final Film Announced And It Sounds Like He’s Going After His Critics

Quentin Tarantino's final film, his 10th, is The Movie Critic, and it's rumored to be set in the 1970s about real-life critic Pauline Kael.

By Sean Thiessen | Updated

quentin tarantino

Everyone’s a critic. And after more than 30 years making movies, Quentin Tarantino may have something to say about that. As detailed by The Hollywood Reporter, the acclaimed and controversial writer/director is shopping the script for what is expected to be his tenth and final film, The Movie Critic.

Quentin Tarantino has crafted a legendary career by distilling his expansive knowledge of films and film history into massively entertaining modern cinema. Critics and fans have praised his films since his 1992 debut with Reservoir Dogs, and his acclaimed filmography boasts classics like Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, and Inglourious Basterds. Tarantino is aware of his track record and doesn’t want to ruin it by overstaying his welcome.

“I want to stop at a certain point,” Quentin Tarantino told Playboy in 2012. “Directors don’t get better as they get older. Usually the worst films in their filmography are those last four at the end. I am all about my filmography, and one bad film f—s up three good ones.” This philosophy led Tarantino to prophesy years ago that he would retire either when he turns 60 or makes his tenth movie. This year, he will do both.

The Movie Critic is preparing to begin production this fall. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but the film is rumored to follow a female protagonist in late 1970s Los Angeles. Some speculate the story will follow Pauline Kael, an influential movie critic Quentin Tarantino has long admired.

Quentin Tarantino has dipped his toes into historical events before, but he has an affinity for writing his version of history. Inglourious Basterds depicted a fiery death for Hitler during World War II, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood showed Sharon Tate’s killers thwarted in a violent, cathartic fashion. Even if The Movie Critic features real-life figures, Tarantino will likely embellish the characters and stories in his bombastic fashion.

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Quentin Tarantino in Reservoir Dogs

A cast has not yet been set for The Movie Critic, but actors like Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, and Samuel L. Jackson are always on the shortlist for Quentin Tarantino movies. If the film does center on a female main character, Tarantino may enlist the help of past collaborators like Uma Thurman, Margot Robbie, or Maya Hawke.

Quentin Tarantino fans have long been calling for the director to make a sequel to Kill Bill, his two-part martial arts revenge tale. The announcement of The Movie Critic quiets those fan cries (though the film could still be a sleeper Pulp Fiction prequel), but the final film by Quentin Tarantino won’t necessarily be the last time fans see the artist at work.

Tarantino has expressed interest in directing a mini-series, or even a play, which could allow the director to expand upon his past works. He already released his first novel, an adaptation of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and could have more on the way. What life and creativity after movies will be for Quentin Tarantino is anyone’s guess, but the film industry will never be the same without his bold shots and painstaking dialogue.

The Movie Critic likely won’t hit theaters for a couple of years. With the announcement of the title and a fall production start on the calendar, more details about the movie will likely come soon. Until then, we can dream of the possibilities for the tenth and final film by Quentin Tarantino.