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Quentin Tarantino is known for his blunt opinions, but his latest critique has ignited a firestorm around one of modern cinema's most acclaimed performances. During a recent appearance on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, the Pulp Fiction filmmaker revealed his top films of the 21st century, and then used the moment to unload a surprising takedown of Paul Dano's work in There Will Be Blood.
Tarantino ranked Paul Thomas Anderson's 2007 epic at number five, praising its ambition and Daniel Day-Lewis' towering portrayal of Daniel Plainview. But he insisted the film could have landed even higher if not for what he called a "big, giant flaw." That flaw, according to him, is Dano. "He is weak sauce, man," Tarantino said. "Obviously it's supposed to be a two-hander, but it's so obvious it's not. He just can't keep up with Day-Lewis."
He went on to double down, arguing that "another terrific actor" could have elevated the dynamic. "Austin Butler would've been wonderful," he said, even though Butler was only 16 when the film debuted. Tarantino, who later cast Butler in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, described Dano as "a weak, uninteresting guy" and even called him "the weakest male actor in SAG."
Ellis pushed back, noting that Day-Lewis delivers such a massive, operatic performance that any co-star would struggle to match his scale. Tarantino wasn't moved. "So you put him with the weakest male actor in SAG?" he replied. "The limpest dick in the world?"
Once the comments spread online, film critics and fans wasted no time firing back. Industry commentator John Rocha wrote that cinephiles "need to stop worshipping" Tarantino's every opinion, adding, "He's wrong here." Others called the remarks "vile," "unfair," and "completely off base," arguing that Dano's dual performance as the Sunday brothers stands as one of the great supporting turns of the century. Multiple commenters questioned whether Tarantino had some deeper grudge, given the unusually harsh tone.
Still, Tarantino's praise for other films, including his glowing description of Black Hawk Down as "a masterwork, " didn't soften the blow. The debate now rages on: is Tarantino calling it like he sees it, or did he go too far in tearing down a beloved performance?
