Quentin Tarantino is known for his violent and unpredictable films, which have earned him widespread fame. Considered by many the most influential director of this generation, some movies that have elevated him to the top include Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained, Reservoir Dogs, and Inglorious Basterds. But what about his favorite movies? Today, we will discuss some of the movies Tarantino admires the most that have been filmed since 1992.

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8 The Blade (1995)

     Orange Sky Golden Harvest Releasing

In 1995, Tsui Hark produced an artistic masterpiece titled The Blade; it was like nothing you have ever seen. Unfortunately, the nihilistic and misanthropic film did not perform well in theaters because audiences had already watched numerous Wuxia movies that were no longer attractive. Nevertheless, despite the dismal HK $3.3 million sales, the film is a masterpiece that critics and others regard as Tsui’s most important work.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

The movie’s plot revolves around an adopted man who discovers that Lung (a powerful bandit) killed his biological father. As he seeks revenge, bad luck strikes, and he loses his right arm to vicious desert scums. Once he is nursed back to health, he returns to the journey of finding the person who murdered his father.

7 Speed (1994)

     20th Century Fox Releasing

If you are a Keanu Reeves fan, you can’t take Speed for granted. When it first came out, movie fans were thrilled by the exhilarating adventure on a bus that required a constant acceleration of above 50 miles per hour. It seems easy to maintain that speed limit on the freeway, but imagine during rush hour! Director Jan De Bont had an ingenious premise for this movie, making it a tremendous success in 1994.

6 Dogville (2003)

     Nordisk Film Releasing

Have you ever watched a movie that is shot on a stage? Dogville is a film that was shot on a Swedish soundstage with lighting, visuals, and sound effects. Dogville is a minimalistic film which some critics associate with the minimalistic essence of Dogme – shooting a movie with strict rules like avoiding the use of artificial light or only shooting on location.

Dogville is a story about the capacity of humans to be hypocrites and malicious. Nicole Kidman stars as Grace, a young woman who flees from the mob for unknown reasons and finds herself in Dogville, where she is welcomed with suspicion by the townsfolk. To win them over, Grace agrees to take on small chores, and after a short while, she is welcomed to a point where she is paid a small salary. However, when the police start looking for her in town, the townspeople risk hiding her, but demand long work hours with less pay from her. After a while, the demands escalate, where she is chained, becomes a servant, and sexually assaulted each night by male residents.

5 Lost in Translation (2003)

     Focus Features Releasing

Sophia Coppola’s film Lost in Translation is a magical movie that confirmed her mastery of mood creation. The theme that cuts across the film is the craving to connect with a kindred spirit. Lost in Translation is one of the movies that will linger on your mind weeks after watching it. This is the movie to watch if you want a break from the formulaic rom-com or other easy-to-read plots. Lance Accord, the cinematographer, did a great job of capturing the skyscrapers of Tokyo, the city’s mystery and beauty. Most of the shots are from hotel room windows, 40 stories up. However, you will also find scenes from the ground level, which feature visual adventures in nightclubs, restaurants, a Buddhist temple, an arcade, and a strip joint. Although the movie characters seem foreign in the city because of the language barrier and traditions, they connect in a soulful way that is refreshing to see.

4 Police Story 3: Super Cop (1992)

     Media Asia Releasing

Action fans have a good chance of considering Supercop as one of the top-ten action movies of the 90s if we base the selection only on the action sequences. For instance, the infamous chase in Malaysia leads up to Yeoh’s and Chan’s characters fighting henchmen on top of a speeding train. To bring these scenes to life, it’s all thanks to director Tong, cinematographer Ardy Lam, and editors Peter Cheung and Cheung Ka-Fai.

3 The Matrix (1999)

     Warner Bros. Pictures

There was a time when Tarantino had The Matrix at number two, but that was diluted after the sequels came out. If you have not watched it yet, you are in for a treat. To help you understand the philosophy of The Matrix, imagine, “What if reality is virtual reality?” It is a dystopia that is managed by technocrat A.I., where humanity feeds in billions of tanks – battery packs powering the machine world through ugly-looking cables stuck at the back of the heads - are you with us till here? And there is a group of saviors tasked with the mandate of rescuing humans from computer purgatory.

2 Fight Club (1999)

     20th Century Studios Releasing

David Fincher’s Fight Club features Edward Norton, a depressed man with insomnia. He meets Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) and invites Norton to live with him after his amazing apartment is demolished. After a while, the two men decide to start an underground fight club that provides a fighting platform for men who are bored with living mundane lives. But unfortunately, their amazing partnership & friendship is interfered with when Maria (Helena Bonham Carter) attracts Tyler.

Several people misunderstood the 1999 adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s novel, but it remains a gem. The movie is excellently written, well-made, and superbly performed. This original story will make you laugh, and the original ending will make you contemplate for a minute.

1 Battle Royale (2000)

     Toei Company Releasing

The Japanese movie scene is known for its thought-provoking cinematic violence. And one of the best movies that brought that premise to life was Battle Royale, a movie based on Koshun Takami’s novel. Director Kinji Fukasaku unleashed a violently poetic masterpiece involving a group of Junior High students who the government forced to hunt and kill each other for sport. The movie garnered a cult following, received 10 Japanese Academy Awards nominations, launched a worldwide phenomenon, and was banned by distributors and frightened civic groups across America.

Battle Royale is a film with a theme that works on various levels, showcasing the desperation of the authorities to enforce law and order and highlighting how the generation gap is causing alienation. Whether you consider the movie a vital social commentary or an adrenaline-pumped violent film, it is an attractive piece that is fun to watch.

When you look at all the movies on this list, Tarantino changes the order of his favorite films from number two onwards. But for the first position occupied by Battle Royale, it is the movie he wishes to have helmed. He said, “If there was any movie that has been made since I’ve been making movies that I wish I had made, it’s that one.”