Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn once criticised Martin Scorsese’s films as “terrible movies that nobody needs”, arguing that the celebrated filmmaker had become overly nostalgic and disconnected from contemporary cinema. The remark matters because it came from a prominent modern director challenging one of Hollywood’s most influential and widely respected auteurs.

Refn made the comments while discussing Scorsese’s 2019 crime epic *The Irishman*, which he viewed as an example of cinema repeatedly revisiting familiar gangster stories. His criticism reflects a broader debate over whether established directors’ late-career work offers meaningful new ideas or relies too heavily on past successes; Scorsese remains acclaimed for films including *Taxi Driver*, *Raging Bull*, *Goodfellas* and *Killers of the Flower Moon*.