Quentin Tarantino Fires Back at Critics: “Why Do You Care What I Like?”

The acclaimed director defends his love for ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ and dismisses online outrage as overblown hysteria.

Quentin Tarantino is no stranger to controversy, but the reaction to his recent praise for Joker: Folie à Deux left even the outspoken director bewildered. Speaking on The Joe Rogan Experience, Tarantino revealed that his admiration for Todd Phillips’ polarizing sequel sparked an online backlash, with critics branding him a “fucking asshole” simply for expressing his opinion.

“I go on a show and say I like Joker 2, and suddenly there are 150 articles about it,” Tarantino said, referencing his earlier comments on the Bret Easton Ellis Podcast. “Then you read the comments: ‘Quentin is a fucking asshole. That movie sucks.’ Why am I a fucking asshole? I liked the fucking movie! That’s it.”

Tarantino doubled down on his right to personal taste, calling out the absurdity of the uproar. “You either like the movie or you don’t,” he said. “I’m not promoting it. I’m not campaigning for it. I just said I liked it. Who gives a fuck what I like?”

The legendary filmmaker also dismissed critics who chastise him for skipping certain films, such as Denis Villeneuve’s Dune series. “What the fuck do you care what I watch or don’t watch?” he quipped. “People say, ‘Oh, he’s missing out.’ Well, I could say the same about you, but I don’t care if you miss out.”

Tarantino’s enthusiasm for Joker: Folie à Deux goes beyond casual praise. He sees the film as a bold, meta-statement by director Todd Phillips, describing it as a work of genius. “The Joker directed the movie,” Tarantino said, elaborating on Phillips’ audacious approach. “He’s spending the studio’s money like the Joker would — saying fuck you to Hollywood, to audiences, to Warner Bros. Todd Phillips is the Joker. It’s un film de Joker.”

What truly captivated Tarantino was the film’s unexpected emotional resonance. “I thought it would be a detached, intellectual exercise — something I’d respect but not connect with,” he admitted. “But I got caught up in it. I loved the musical sequences, and the banality of the songs made them even better. I really, really liked it.”

Unfazed by the backlash, Tarantino’s message to his critics is clear: personal taste is just that — personal. Whether or not people agree with his opinions, the Pulp Fiction director isn’t about to stop speaking his mind.