Quentin Tarantino hasn’t seen that many films this year, which is understandable. He spent much of his time finishing up work on The Hateful Eight and preparing both a 70mm road show and a cut for the film’s wider release, in addition to making the press rounds to promote the damn thing. But, out of the films he has seen, he deems George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road the best of the year.
French outlet Première caught up with Tarantino on the red carpet for an international release of The Hateful Eight and asked for the filmmaker’s top film of 2015. “It would have to be the Mad Max movie, Fury Road.” He continued:
I got a print of Mad Max on 35mm and I watched it in my house, and I had it all weekend and I ended up watching it three different times, and I resisted seeing it for a while because I was like, ‘Mad Max without Mel Gibson? Forget that!’ In a world where Mel Gibson exists, how can you cast Tom Hardy? So, I even wanted to get all defiant about it and #NotMyMax. Then I saw the movie and, ‘Okay, it’s terrific,’ and he’s pretty good in it, I have to admit.
In previous years, Tarantino named the likes of Toy Story 3 (for 2010) and Midnight in Paris (2011) as the best of their respective years, but his choice for 2015 — even if he hasn’t seen that many selections — is one many people can agree with. The National Board of Review gave Fury Road the same honor, while the film has been included on the shortlists for Best Score and Best VFX for the 2016 Oscars. In addition, it was named one of AFI’s 10 best films of the year, received 13 nominations for the Critics’ Choice Awards, and two Golden Globe nominations. You know, to name a few.
Watch Tarantino’s interview below.
The 2016 Oscar nominations will be announced on January 14th and could potentially add even more nominations to the film’s growing collection.
For more of our coverage on Mad Max: Fury Road, check out some recent stories below:
- How Women Broke Free from Men in 2015
- ‘Mad Max’ Sequel Won’t Be Called ‘Wasteland,’ Says George Miller
- ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Blu-ray Review
- ‘Mad Max’ Sequels Being Discussed with Studio, Says George Miller
- ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Returning to IMAX Theaters Next Week
- ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Infographic Breaks Down the Film’s Bonkers Vehicles
