Quentin Tarantino begins his best movies of the 21st Century list with a nuclear hot take: "I don't think Scorsese has made a film this exciting [this century]"

1. Entertainment
2. Movies
3. Musicals
4. west side story

Quentin Tarantino begins his best movies of the 21st Century list with a nuclear hot take: "I don't think Scorsese has made a film this exciting [this century]" News By Bradley Russell published 27 November 2025

A bold claim from Quentin Tarantino

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Legendary – and frequently outspoken – director Quentin Tarantino has unveiled the first half of his best 21st Century movies list, but it comes with a hot take so nuclear that I feel like my face is melting off, Ark of the Covenant style.

Speaking on the Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, Tarantino began his top 20 with Steven Spielberg's 2021 remake of musical West Side Story – a critically acclaimed darling that was nominated for Best Picture and netted a Best Supporting Actress win for Ariana DeBose at the 94th Academy Awards.

"This is the one where Steven shows he still has it," Tarantino remarked (H/T Variety). "I don't think Scorsese has made a film this exciting [this century].”

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An eyebrow-raising take, for sure – even if you're a major supporter of West Side Story (unfortunately, audiences didn't exactly flock to the cinema in their droves, with it grossing only $76 million).

For his part, Martin Scorsese has released multiple films that have become modern classics in the past quarter-of-a-century. His full 21st Century filmography is: Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The Departed, Hugo, Shutter Island, The Wolf of Wall Street, Silence, The Irishman, and Killers of the Flower Moon.

In terms of pure crowd-pleasing excitement, it might be hard to argue with Tarantino's take, but the jury is still out for those who champion Scorsese's work.

If you were curious, the rest of Tarantino's ordered list so far (with the next 10 being revealed in the next episode) include: Cabin Fever, Moneyball, Chocolate, The Devil's Rejects, The Passion of the Christ, School of Rock, Jackass: The Movie, Big Bad Wolves, and Battle Royale.

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Next up for Tarantino is a maximalist re-release of Kill Bill, titled The Whole Bloody Affair. The remaster packages together both Kill Bill parts into one ultra-long cut, including a "never-before-seen" anime sequence.

For more, check out our ranking of the best Tarantino movies.

Bradley RussellSocial Links Navigation

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

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