Quentin Tarantino Draws the Line on Killing Animals in His Films: 'That's a Bridge I Can't Cross'

Quentin Tarantino became one of the greatest filmmakers ever because of his unabashed representation of violence, profanity, and alternate realities. His films feel like B-movies that have been elevated to art. We see action, drama, and yes, a whole lot of bloodshed. But even the auteur admits that he knows where to draw the line on all the killing.

In an interview with Variety, the director made it clear where his limits are. And it's not where you think. He simply stated:

“I have a big thing about killing animals in movies. That’s a bridge I can’t cross... Insects too. Unless I’m paying to see some bizzarro documentary, I’m not paying to see real death. Part of the way that this all works is that it’s all just make believe. That’s why I can stand the violent scenes, cause we’re all just fucking around.”

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He added: “Some animal, some dog, some llama, some fly, some rat, doesn’t give a fuck about your movie. I’d kill a million rats, but I don’t necessarily want to kill one in a movie or see one killed in a movie, because I’m not paying to see real death.”

Questions about the violence of his filmography and storylines have plagued Tarantino throughout his career. Each time, the auteur has doubled down on going against those inquiries. He thinks of it as such a ploy, in many ways. In the past, he has expressed his contempt for the criticism of the killing in his stories. He thinks of his characters as simply fictional vehicles in his cinematic universe, meaning: it's not real life.

The Pulp Fiction and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood director promised that his next film would be his last. These days, Tarantino's "The Movie Critic" is currently in the early stages of production. He is still looking for his lead in the film, he's stated.