'There Will Be Blood' Star Defends Paul Dano, Laughs Off Tarantino's Austin Butler Hot Take

Quentin Tarantino has divided film buffs with his recent brutal criticisms of Paul Dano ... and a star of "There Will Be Blood" is calling cut on the hot take.

Here's the deal ... recently on "The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast," Tarantino tore apart Dano's work ... specifically mentioning the 2007 Daniel Day-Lewis flick. QT spit fire, proclaiming it's nearly a perfect film ... had Paul essentially not screwed it up. Needless to say, fans of the movie -- and of Dano -- were left asking ... WTF, bro?!?

Dillon Freasier, who played the child version of H.W. Plainview in 'Blood,' tells TMZ … QT is allowed his opinion -- and when it comes to cinema he's usually spot on -- but this insight missed the mark!

Dillon says ... “The film is perfect. It’s a work of art. And it’s that way because everyone was perfectly cast.”

As for QT's suggestion that Austin Butler would have been better in that role than Dano ... Dillon laughs off the nonsensical suggestion, since AB was 15 when they made the film ... and PD was in his early 20s. So yeah, apples and oranges.

Don't get it twisted ... DF says he's a massive Tarantino fan, and he's sure QT is right in his own mind ... but that means people who are pissed about the remarks are also right. Basically, you can have your milkshake, but can't always drink it too.

It turns out ... "There Will Be Blood" is the only film or TV credit Dillon has on his resume ... telling us, making the film was wonderful, and it turned out perfect, but he had no interest in pursuing acting as a career -- and walked away to have a private life with a big Hollywood W.