The Movie Critic; the wheels are in motion for Quentin Tarantino’s 10th and possibly final film

If rumours are correct, it would seem that Quentin Tarantino is set to once again venture back into the halcyon days of ‘70s cinema as talk has picked up regarding his tenth film - and quite possibly, his last feature film, given comments he has made previously.

Tentatively titled The Movie Critic, The Hollywood Reporter have claimed that the film will be another love letter from Tarantino to a golden age of cinema, from the star studded Hollywood hits of the era through to the low down, gritty grindhouse flicks that the Pulp Fiction director professed his love for. He even released a book specifically on the topic of under-the-radar features he enjoyed from that time in his 2022 book, Cinema Speculation.

Given Tarantino’s caution on information being leaked, akin to his experiences writing the script for The Hateful Eight in 2014, many details are being locked up in a suitcase, but sources have told The Hollywood Reporter that the story is being set in late 1970s Los Angeles with a female lead at its centre.

That has led to some speculation that the film could be based on the life of Pauline Kael, one of the most influential movie critics of all time and somewhat of an iconoclast in the industry during the ‘70s. She briefly worked as a consultant for Paramount, and that job seems to coincide with the setting of the script, coupled with Tarantino’s great respect for Kael, making the odds of her being the subject of the film more likely.

There is no studio as of yet behind the film, with Tarantino said to be shopping around for a deal similar to the one he had with Sony for the release of his last film, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood. It was noted that one of the conditions for that release centred around ownership of the film, with Tarantino said to have the right returned to him after a 20 year period.

Why could The Movie Critic be Quentin Tarantino’s last film?

Quentin Tarantino has previously stated that once he reaches the milestone of ten feature films, that he would look at stepping back from the big screen, though there is still the prospect of him working on ideas for television - with an eight-episode television series planned for shooting this year.

In an interview on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher in 2021, he explained that he wanted to get out while at the top of his game and with his vast knowledge of film history contended that “from here on end, directors do not get better," while promoting his ninth film, Once Upon A Time in Hollywood.

“I don’t have a reason that I would want to say out loud that’s going to win any argument in the court of public opinion or supreme court or anything like that. At the same time, working for 30 years doing as many movies as I’ve done is not as many as other people but that’s a long career. That’s a really long career. And I’ve given it everything I have."

Not that we want to start an argument with Quentin Tarantino, but we’ve taken a look at five celebrated names in cinema that have surpassed the ten movie mark to find out, through box office figures, if indeed the celebrated director has a point about director’s rot after reaching those milestones.

We were surprised:

Steven Spielberg - Empire of the Sun (1987)

• Empire of the Sun box office: $66.7 million USD
• 11th film box office: Always - $74.1 million
• Biggest box office for Steven Spielberg: Jurassic Park - $1.046 billion (14th movie)

Martin Scorsese - The Colour of Money (1986)

• The Colour of Money box office: $52.3 million
• 11th film box office: The Last Temptation of Christ - $33.8 million
• Biggest box office for Martin Scorsese: The Wolf of Wall Street - $406.9 million (23rd movie)

Kathryn Bigelow - Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

• Zero Dark Thirty box office: $132.8 million
• 11th film box office: Detroit - $26 million
• Biggest box office for Kathryn Bigelow: Zero Dark Thirty - $132.8 million (10th film)

The Coen Brothers - Intolerable Cruelty (2003)

• Intolerable Cruelty box office: $120.8 million
• 11th film box office: The Ladykillers - $76.7 million
• Biggest box office for The Coen Brothers: True Grit - $252.3 million (15th movie)

• Lust, Caution box office: $67.1 million
• 11th film box office: Taking Woodstock - $10 million
• Biggest box office for Ang Lee: Life of Pi - $609 million (12th movie)