Quentin Tarantino has an impressive catalog of movies he has worked on; the Hollywood icon has made nine feature films and is planning a 10th and final one. He has worked on TV shows, developed short films, and won awards. His career has been storied, and people have talked about him for years. Tarantino is doing the talking this time. He recently sat down to offer his own thoughts on his body of work. The famed writer and director even pinpointed his favorite project and the project he considers his best work. They are, surprisingly, not the same.

Quentin Tarantino considers ‘Inglorious Basterds’ his best film

Quentin Tarantino recently appeared on The Church of Tarantino for a two-hour interview. During the chat, the famed filmmaker discussed his career in depth. You may be shocked to find out which movie he considers his “masterpiece.” During the chat, Tarantino admitted that he believes the 2009 WWII film Inglourious Basterds will go down as his best work. He called the 180-minute saga his masterpiece.

Set during World War II, the story follows two converging plots. Parts of the film focus on a group of Jewish-American soldiers, led by Lt. Aldo Raine, who terrorize Nazis behind enemy lines. Other sections focus on Shosanna Dreyfus, a Jewish woman in occupied France seeking revenge for her family’s murder. Inglourious Basterds was a commercial and critical success, receiving accolades, awards, and rave reviews.  While Tarantino wrote and directed Inglorious Basterds, and considers it his masterpiece, it still isn’t his favorite film he worked on.

The director turned down the chance to direct a sequel to his favorite project

While Inglourious Basterds is the movie that Tarantino considers his masterpiece, it’s not his favorite flick. That distinction goes to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The 2019 hit is the ninth film in his ten-film plan, and it seems like it will remain his favorite unless he comes up with something really big to top it.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood follows fading TV actor Rick Dalton and his stunt double, Cliff Booth, as they navigate Hollywood’s shifting landscape in the late 1960s. Tarantino created a blend of fiction and dark Hollywood history to make the film pop.

Tarantino could have returned to the franchise to direct The Continued Adventures of Cliff Booth, the much-anticipated sequel, but he opted out. He revealed that he is all in favor of the project moving ahead, but didn’t wish for his 10th movie to be a sequel. He’s looking for that milestone to be completely unique. The movie is currently filming.

While Tarantino is not returning to direct the sequel, several actors are reprising their roles, including the one actor who appeared in both the director’s favorite and best movies. Brad Pitt took on lead roles in both Inglourious Basterds and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. We can’t help but wonder if he’ll also appear in that rumored 10th movie, if it ever gets made.