Quentin Tarantino’s List of Perfect Movies Mixes ‘Jaws’, ‘Annie Hall’ and a Slasher No One Expected
Few filmmakers can start an argument as quickly as Quentin Tarantino when he starts talking about other people’s movies. Every few months, his opinions on what counts as great cinema make the rounds again, and fans pile in with their own picks. This time, his list of films he considers flawless is back in circulation.
It is worth remembering that the list is not new. Tarantino shared it in 2022, but its mix of horror, comedy and drama continues to travel well online. The more you look at it, the more it reveals about how the director sees movies.
The idea began in Tarantino’s book ‘Cinema Speculation’, where he wrote that there are very few perfect movies and that ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ is one of them. When he later appeared on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ to promote the book, the host asked what the others were. Tarantino ran through a handful of titles on the spot.
What he named became a quick-fire canon that has been shared widely ever since. It is a shortlist, and he was clear about how few films he thinks clear the bar.
Quentin Tarantino says there are 7 perfect movies • Jaws • Annie Hall • The Exorcist • The Wild Bunch • Back to the Future • Young Frankenstein • The Texas Chainsaw Massacre https://t.co/KT9hEoQfp5
— CoveredGeekly (@CoveredGeekly) November 9, 2026
The seven films are ‘Jaws’, ‘Annie Hall’, ‘The Exorcist’, ‘The Wild Bunch’, ‘Back to the Future’, ‘Young Frankenstein’ and ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’. That puts a Steven Spielberg thriller next to a Woody Allen romantic comedy, a Mel Brooks monster spoof and a Sam Peckinpah western. Robert Zemeckis’ time-travel adventure, William Friedkin’s horror landmark and Tobe Hooper’s grisly slasher complete the group.
The range is part of the appeal. Few critics would put those titles side by side, yet Tarantino treats them as equals. He has said elsewhere that ‘Jaws’ is the greatest movie ever made, so its place on the list is no surprise.
Tarantino was careful to define the term. In his view, a perfect movie is not simply a personal favorite. He argued that such films cut across individual tastes, so that even people who do not love them can see nothing to tear down.
He also acknowledged that the list may not suit everyone. Some viewers will find it unappealing, he suggested, but that does not change the point. That framing is what separates the exercise from a standard favorites list, and it helps explain why ‘Young Frankenstein’ got a more lukewarm endorsement than the rest, with Tarantino indicating he understands why others might choose it.
The most interesting entry is ‘The Wild Bunch’. Tarantino said it fits the category and then immediately took it back, explaining that it is not actually a perfect movie. Its imperfections, he said, are part of its glory, which is exactly what makes it unassailable.
That contradiction is the kind of thing fans love to dissect. Some outlets count it among the seven, while others note he technically pulled it from the list. Either way, it shows he separates flawless craftsmanship from pure impact.
The timeline of the picks stands out. Five of the seven films were released in the 1970s, within a span of about 5 years, with one from the decade before and one from the decade after. One commentator noted that this may reflect how deeply formative movies from youth can be.
That fits Tarantino’s well-known history as a movie obsessive who absorbed film at a young age. It also helps explain why his own work leans on grindhouse energy, genre blending and crowd-pleasing storytelling. The same sensibility is visible in the films he picked.
The conversation is also a reminder that Tarantino has been unusually quiet as a director. He scrapped his planned final film, ‘The Movie Critic’, after deciding he was not excited to dramatize it. Soon after, he began writing ‘The Adventures of Cliff Booth’, which David Fincher is set to direct for Netflix.
That leaves his opinions as the main way many fans engage with him between projects. It is hard to complain when those opinions are this entertaining.
Which Quentin Tarantino pick deserves to be called a perfect movie?
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