Quentin Tarantino Reveals His Least Favorite Movie Genre

Quentin Tarantino, known for his bold style and unique storytelling, has shared his thoughts on the one movie genre he avoids: biopics.

In a recent discussion, the acclaimed director explained why he doesn’t feel drawn to making films based on real people’s lives.

Tarantino, whose work includes classics like Pulp Fiction and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, said he sees biopics as limiting.

“I think it’s my least favourite genre. There’s hardly anybody whose story from beginning to end is very interesting. To me, those movies are showcases for actors, but they’re not really showcases for storytellers or directors,” he said.

For Tarantino, the appeal of filmmaking lies in crafting moments and storybeats he fully understands. He thrives on making scenes feel urgent and entertaining, even when dialogue-heavy, as in Pulp Fiction. His style often emphasizes individual, intense moments rather than attempting to cover an entire life story.

He pointed out that many biopics struggle to keep the story engaging from start to finish. Movies like Bohemian Rhapsody, while praised for Rami Malek’s performance as Freddie Mercury, had to compress huge amounts of personal history into a single film.

According to Tarantino, this makes it hard to focus on the emotional depth of the character at each moment. Similarly, Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, though visually striking, felt more like a stylized spectacle than a deep narrative.

Tarantino admitted that while he could find inspiration in a single event from someone’s life, covering an entire biography isn’t for him.

He mentioned the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown as an example, noting that while it explored many aspects of Dylan’s life, Tarantino could imagine a more explosive, focused depiction of just one iconic moment rather than the full story.

The director prefers films where he can shape the story with his own voice and style. By staying away from biopics, he ensures his work reflects his unique storytelling approach rather than trying to fit a real-life narrative into the cinematic form.

What do you think about biopics? Do you agree with Tarantino’s take, or do you think a great director can make any real-life story work on screen? Share your thoughts in the comments.