Why Did Quentin Tarantino Call This 91%-Rated Hitchcock Thriller ‘A Piece of Crap?’

As one of the most acclaimed movie directors of our time, Quentin Tarantino has the right for opinions, including strong opinions, about his colleagues’ works. Tarantino has always been blunt and direct in his assessments, and Alfred Hitchcock became the target of the Pulp Fiction director’s cinephilic ire on more than one occasion.

This particular thriller has high scores across all platforms and is regarded as a Hitchcock classic, but Tarantino still didn’t find it deserving of his attention.

What’s with Tarantino’s Anti-Hitchcock Frenzy?

Interestingly enough, many Alfred Hitchcock’s movies have been completely disregarded by Quentin Tarantino throughout the years. From 1958’s Vertigo that he dubbed “stinking of the ‘50s” (which makes sense since the movie was made in the ‘50s) to 1959’s North by Northwest which he called “very mediocre,” Tarantino sure had his way with the celebrated thriller master’s works on many occasions.

Why? Tarantino simply doesn’t like Hitchcock’s style.

“I’ve always felt that Hitchcock’s acolytes took his cinematic and story ideas further. I love Brian De Palma’s Hitchcock movies. I love Richard Franklin’s and Curtis Hanson’s Hitchcock meditations. I prefer those to actual Hitchcock,” the Reservoir Dogs director once explained to The New York Times.

Hitchcock’s Frenzy Got Slammed by Tarantino, Too

Another iconic Alfred Hitchcock movie Quentin Tarantino absolutely hated was his late 1972’s work Frenzy. The movie follows an ex-Royal Air Force officer who gets wrongfully blamed as the Necktie Murderer after his wife becomes another victim in the serial killer’s collection and escapes the law at his friend’s — to quickly realize that his friend might just be the notorious murderer himself.

In his book Cinema Speculation, Quentin Tarantino dedicated an entire chapter to Brian De Palma’s 1972’s Sisters… And took it as an opportunity to once again take a shot at Hitchcock while comparing the two. Tarantino wrote about the latter, “Hitchcock’s Frenzy might be a piece of crap, but I doubt Alfred was bored making it.”

Despite the Tarantino’s claim, Frenzy has great reviews all around. On Rotten Tomatoes, it boasts 91 and 78% Critic and Audience Scores, respectively, and on IMDb, it’s rated 7.4/10. What’s the best way to learn whether you are on the critics’ or Tarantino’s side in this debate? Watch the movie yourself, of course!

You can stream Frenzy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Sources: The New York Times via Far Out, Cinema Speculation by Quentin Tarantino