Roxane Gay critiques Quentin Tarantino's filmmaking approach, particularly in works like Inglourious Basterds. She highlights how he often utilizes historical traumas faced by marginalized communities that are not a part of his own heritage. This pattern suggests an exercise of creative freedom derived from his privileged background, allowing him to reinterpret these experiences through a lens of violence and dark humor.

Gay points out that this method can come off as problematic, as it reflects a certain arrogance. Tarantino's films aim to address historical injustices but do so from a limited perspective, which may undermine the complexity of those experiences. Instead of genuinely engaging with the cultural narratives he portrays, he risks trivializing them in the process of crafting entertaining narratives.