Old classics are being rewatched, past controversies reexamined, and the line between art and accountability remains as blurry as ever.
Rosanna Arquette has revisited her role in Pulp Fiction, reminding everyone that the ghosts of 90s Hollywood are far from buried.
In a fresh interview with The Times, she didn’t mince words about the film’s long-debated use of the N-word.
“I cannot stand that he has been given a hall pass. It’s not art, it’s just racist and creepy,” Arquette said, though she also acknowledged the movie’s cultural weight: “It’s iconic, a great film on a lot of levels. But personally I am over the use of the N-word — I hate it.”
Her critique echoes the long-standing position of Spike Lee, who has slammed Quentin Tarantino for what he called an excessive reliance on racial slurs.
At the same time, defenders like Samuel L. Jackson have argued the language is “period-accurate” and “character-accurate,” with Jackson famously saying he might have added more for authenticity.
What makes Arquette’s voice stand out in 2026 is her insider perspective.
She was part of Tarantino’s inner circle but now speaks openly about broader systemic issues.
She recalled being the only cast member denied a share of the film’s profits, which she attributes to Harvey Weinstein’s blacklisting after she rejected his advances – a reminder that the same culture that produced Pulp Fiction also produced lasting inequities and abuse.
In connecting language, power, and personal experience, Arquette demonstrates how #MeToo reverberations still reach deep into Hollywood’s past.
Stories of survivors speaking decades later are still hitting the headlines, showing how the industry never fully lets go of past misconduct.
For Arquette, the conversation is less about dialogue in a script, and about the wider power dynamics of Hollywood at the time.
And in 2026, the debate around Pulp Fiction is clearly far from over.
