"That's a challenge": Quentin Tarantino reveals that 2019 was the last year for movies before streaming took over

Oscar-winning filmmaker Quentin Tarantino got candid in a recent interview with film critic Elvis Mitchell at the Sundance Film Festival 2025. He shared his belief that 2019 was the last year for movies before streaming took over. Tarantino, who’s known for iconic films like Pulp Fiction (1994), Kill Bill Volumes 1 & 2 (2003, 2004), Django Unchained (2012), and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), discussed his thoughts on the current state of the movie and film industry and revealed a shift in his creative focus and medium of art.

Quentin Tarantino reveals that 2019 was the last year for movies before streaming took over

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As per reports at gamesradar.com, Quentin Tarantino expresses his critical views, saying that the year 2019 was "the last f**king year of movies". He feels that the quality of films released after 2019 has dramatically dropped. He compared the current state of cinema to theatre, explaining:

""That's a big f**king deal pulling [a play] off, and I don't know if I can. So here we go. That's a challenge, a genuine challenge, but making movies? Well, what the f**k is a movie now? What — something that plays in theaters for a token release for four f**king weeks? All right, and by the second week you can watch it on television,"

"I didn't get into all this for diminishing returns. I mean, it was bad enough in '97. It was bad enough in 2019, and that was the last f**king year of movies. That was a sh*t deal, as far as I was concerned, the fact that it's gotten drastically worse? And that it's just it's a show pony exercise. Now the theatrical release, you know, and then like yeah, in two weeks, you can watch it on this [streaming service] and that one. Okay. Theater? You can't do that. It's the final frontier."

Tarantino also shared that he’s no longer focused on making movies. Instead, he's currently working on writing a play.

Quoting Tarantino's words as per reports from Deadline, he talks about drama lovers and further discusses what he feels about theatre, focusing on its quality and ephemerality as he explains:

“They pay a lot of f**king money to get into that seat”

“there’s no f**king taping it, there’s no cell phone, you own the audience for that time. They are all yours, they are in the palm of your hand. It’s not just about doing art, it’s about wowing them, it’s about giving them a great night out. This to me is f**king existing. It’s the last frontier.”

As per Entertainment Weekly reports, in 2023, the announcement of Quentin Tarantino's 10th and final movie, with rumors circulating about Brad Pitt starring in it, made headlines. This project was temporarily titled The Movie Critic. Therefore, considering what Quentin Tarantino has recently revealed about his thoughts and plans, we might not be able to anticipate any new movie production from him anytime soon. He further compares movie making with the act of climbing mountains, but he draws the line when it comes to theatre, for which he calls it "an ocean voyage."

As per Variety reports, in an interview at Sundance, Quentin Tarantino mentioned that he is not in any hurry to make a film. He also talks about fatherhood and why he is focusing on writing now. Quentin Tarantino explains:

“I’ve been doing that for 30 years. Next month my son turns 5, and I have a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter. When I’m in America, I’m writing. When I’m in Israel? I’m an abba, which means father.”

As per reports at Digital Spy, he further mentions: