Quentin Tarantino has never been known for subtlety, and his latest critique proves he has no intention of dialing it back. During a recent appearance on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, the Oscar-winning filmmaker unleashed a surprisingly sharp rebuke of actor Paul Dano a critique that has quickly become one of the most talked-about moments from the interview.
While discussing his list of the top 10 films of the 21st century, Tarantino praised Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood, ranking it fifth on his list. However, he was quick to emphasize that the film would have landed even higher if not for what he described as a “major flaw.”
That flaw, he said bluntly, was Paul Dano.
Dano, 41, starred opposite Daniel Day-Lewis, whose performance earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor. But according to Tarantino, the pair were not evenly matched and the imbalance, in his view, weakened the film’s dynamic.
“Obviously it’s supposed to be a two-hander,” Tarantino said, “but it’s so drastically obvious that it’s not a two-hander. He is weak sauce, man. He’s a weak sister.”
The director didn’t stop there. He called Dano “uninteresting,” suggested that Austin Butler would have been a far better choice for the role, and dismissed the idea that Dano was simply overshadowed by Day-Lewis.
When host Bret Easton Ellis pushed back pointing out that almost any actor would seem small next to Day-Lewis’s towering performance Tarantino doubled down.
“So you put him with the weakest male actor in SAG?” he shot back. “I’m not saying he’s terrible. I’m saying he’s a non-entity.”
Asked whether he admired Dano in any other work, Tarantino couldn’t name a single example. Instead, he expanded his list of actors he “doesn’t care for,” adding Owen Wilson and Matthew Lillard to the group.
Dano’s Career Says Otherwise
Tarantino’s scathing remarks stand in contrast to Dano’s critical reputation. The actor has received:
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a BAFTA nomination for There Will Be Blood,
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Primetime Emmy nominations for Escape at Dannemora (2018) and Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2024),
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a Golden Globe nomination for Love & Mercy (2014),
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and a Gotham Award win for the same role.
Dano has also appeared in several major studio and prestige titles, including 12 Years a Slave, Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans, and Matt Reeves’ The Batman, where he portrayed the Riddler.
Despite the controversy, Dano has not publicly responded to Tarantino’s remarks.
Tarantino’s Top 20 Films of the Century
In the same interview, Tarantino revealed his full ranking of the best films since the year 2000 — a list that spans genres, eras, and sensibilities, and reflects his unpredictable cinematic tastes.
20. West Side Story — Steven Spielberg
19. Cabin Fever — Eli Roth
18. Moneyball — Bennett Miller
17. Chocolate — Prachya Pinkaew
16. The Devil’s Rejects — Rob Zombie
15. The Passion of the Christ — Mel Gibson
14. School of Rock — Richard Linklater
13. Jackass: The Movie — Jeff Tremaine
12. Big Bad Wolves — Aharon Keshales & Navot Papushado
11. Battle Royale — Kinji Fukasaku
10. Midnight in Paris — Woody Allen
9. Shaun of the Dead — Edgar Wright
8. Mad Max: Fury Road — George Miller
7. Unstoppable — Tony Scott
6. Zodiac — David Fincher
5. There Will Be Blood — Paul Thomas Anderson
4. Dunkirk — Christopher Nolan
3. Lost in Translation — Sofia Coppola
2. Toy Story 3 — Lee Unkrich
1. Black Hawk Down — Ridley Scott