These Are the 7 Movies Tarantino Calls "Perfect"

Back in 2022, writer/director Quentin Tarantino sat down with Jimmy Kimmel, and the discussion turned to an interesting question.

What makes a movie perfect?

Tarantino had a definition in mind when he called certain films flawless. These weren't movies he just loved, although that's important. They were ones that he said transcended individual taste and were objectively remarkable.

As he explained to Kimmel, "The perfect movie kind of crosses all aesthetics to one degree or another. Might not be your cup of tea, but there's nothing you can say to bring it down."

We bet a few of you would still be willing to argue with him. Either way, we're going to explore his brief list of cinematic perfection.

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Check out Tarantino and Kimmel's conversation above, then learn more about each of his picks.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Tobe Hooper)

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Eyebrow-raising to some, but to me, this makes perfect sense. Tarantino led with Tobe Hooper's horror masterpiece.

Kimmel expressed surprise at the choice, but the 1974 independent horror film has earned its reputation as a groundbreaking work that transformed the genre.

The production itself was a nightmare, shooting 16-hour days in over 100-degree Texas heat for weeks on end. That physical exhaustion and discomfort transferred directly onto the screen, making the film's terror palpable.

Little violence actually appears on screen, yet the film remains one of the most effective horror experiences in cinema history.

Jaws (Steven Spielberg)

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Tarantino's next pick was Jaws. We don't need to defend this one—the film practically invented the summer blockbuster in 1975.

But the production was such a disaster that Spielberg thought his career was over; instead, he delivered a film that changed Hollywood forever. The mechanical shark famously didn't work, forcing Spielberg to show less and suggest more. That limitation became the film's greatest strength. Jaws barely shows the shark in its first half, instead building tension through implication and John Williams' iconic two-note theme.

Even the film's most famous line originated as an on-set joke about production troubles.

The film's approach to suspense was inherited from Hitchcock's philosophy that what you don't show is scarier than what you do.

The Exorcist (William Friedkin)

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Released in 1973, William Friedkin's film scandalized audiences. People reportedly fainted and fled theaters during screenings. But Friedkin wasn't trying to make a horror film, at least not in his mind. He wanted to create something that felt like a documentary.

To achieve the visible breath in the possessed girl's bedroom, Friedkin literally turned the soundstage into a walk-in freezer.

It received 10 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. It's one of the most highly nominated horror films in Oscar history.

Friedkin's meticulous attention to detail created a film that still feels raw, shocking, and grounded.

Annie Hall (Woody Allen)

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Tarantino's list veered momentarily toward romantic comedies when he named Woody Allen's 1977 film.

Annie Hall is certainly unique. It breaks the fourth wall, uses split screens, incorporates animation, and jumps through time.

The Writers Guild of America later named the screenplay the funniest ever written. The film won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress for Diane Keaton, and Best Original Screenplay.

Young Frankenstein (Mel Brooks)

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Mel Brooks' 1974 parody of Universal's monster films is a loving and hilarious homage. The film originated with Gene Wilder, who pitched the idea to Brooks while they were shooting Blazing Saddles.

Wilder had such a good time making these movies with Brooks that he tried to extend production, according to Brooks and Young Frankenstein: The Story of the Making of the Film (via Newsweek).

"Gene, it's over," Brooks said. "It's got a beginning, middle, and end. Perfect."

Wilder buried his face in his hands. "Mel, I don't want to go home," he said. "I want to stay here. This is the happiest time of my life."

Vincent Canby of The New York Times called it Brooks' "funniest, most cohesive comedy to date," while Roger Ebert praised it as Brooks' "most disciplined and visually inventive film."

Back to the Future (Robert Zemeckis)

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Tarantino declared Robert Zemeckis' 1985 time-travel adventure a "perfect" film.

The screenplay by Zemeckis and Bob Gale was rejected more than 40 times before being made, but now it's hailed as one of our great sci-fi classics. It's endlessly rewatchable.

The clock tower climax builds suspense through layered complications. Audiences care about every single second because Zemeckis established clear stakes and planted seeds for the finale throughout the film.

The movie became the highest-grossing film of 1985 and launched one of cinema's most beloved franchises. Zemeckis and Gale have steadfastly refused to allow remakes or reboots, with Zemeckis stating, "That can't happen until both Bob and I are dead" (via Vanity Fair).

The Wild Bunch (Sam Peckinpah)

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Tarantino's list gets interesting here. He named Sam Peckinpah's brutal 1969 western, then immediately reconsidered.

"Its imperfections are part of its glory," Tarantino said, before deciding, "Let me take The Wild Bunch off."

Too late, Tarantino. Peckinpah's violent elegy to the Old West doesn't have to be perfect, and we're leaving it on.

The film scandalized audiences with its graphic violence when released. Roger Ebert later called it "one of the great defining moments of modern movies." The climactic shootout is one of the best-directed action sequences in cinema history.

The film received two Academy Award nominations and was selected for the National Film Registry in 1999.