# The “worst decade” in the history of American cinema, according to Steven Soderbergh

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-worst-decade-in-the-history-of-american-cinema-according-to-steven-soderbergh/
- Published: 2026-10-24T19:38:25+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-24T20:23:28+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/worst-decade-history-american-cinema-according-to-steven-soderbergh/
- Topics: Entertainment, Film

## Key points

- Soderbergh calls the 1980s the worst decade for American cinema.
- He says his 1989 film helped mark a shift towards 1990s independent cinema.
- Tarantino also criticises the decade for cautious, self-censored filmmaking.

## Summary

Steven Soderbergh has called the 1980s the worst decade in American cinema, arguing that Hollywood became less willing to take creative risks after the freer filmmaking of the 1970s. He says his 1989 film *Sex, Lies, and Videotape* arrived at the right moment and helped usher in the independent cinema of the 1990s.

Quentin Tarantino shares Soderbergh’s criticism, saying filmmakers in the 1980s often censored their own work and played it safe. The article notes that the decade also produced influential films such as *The Terminator* and *E.T.*, and argues that its brighter, less confrontational style is not enough to dismiss the entire era.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.