Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood 2019

Non spoiler thoughts (summary): A laid back and nostalgic Tarantino film that focuses more on atmosphere, character hangouts, and tension simmering beneath the surface rather than constant action. The performances, especially Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, carry the emotional core, while the setting recreates late 1960s Hollywood with warmth and affection. It feels like a reflective love letter to an era and its fading stars, building quietly before releasing its energy in a memorable finale. ⚠️ Spoilers ahead. From here on, plot details are discussed. Read on if you’ve seen the film. If not, save this post and come back after. ⚠️ I think this is my third watch. I forgot Al Pacino was here. He looks very different, older and fat. I also got surprised again seeing so many familiar faces pop up, like Timothy Olyphant, Sydney Sweeney, Austin Butler, who looks great on a horse, Maya Hawke, and Zoë Bell. It makes the movie feel like this stacked with cameo. This is the most chill Quentin film for me because the evil is brewing in the background instead of being the main engine upfront. I think it is really important to know the historical context to fully feel the danger, especially in the ranch scene where Cliff is surrounded by the hippies. The way Quentin builds tension there is so quiet but heavy, like I am watching a trap slowly closing. He also did a good job mixing real life people with his fictional characters in a way that makes the world feel oddly believable, like it is history, but also a fairy tale he is rewriting. I laughed at the sound design detail when Cliff puts down the milk in the truck trunk and it lands with that gong like hit. It is such a random funny sound choice, but it feels like a sly wink to kung fu and the Bruce Lee connection. That whole Bruce Lee sequence works for me, the long take, the dialogue, the action, and the way it is both funny and sharp at the same time. It is not just a gag, it also tells me a lot about Cliff’s confidence and the kind of myth Quentin wants him to have. The cinematography, lighting, and color grading feel right for that late 1960s Los Angeles tone, warm, dusty, sun soaked, and slightly nostalgic. Nothing felt wildly new or ground breaking, but I like how Quentin makes some scenes feel like they are literally pulled from old cinema. I have to give it again to Leonardo’s acting, especially the moment when the director and the little girl compliment him. That scene hits because I can feel Rick’s insecurity and hunger for validation. Then of course that flamethrower moment at the end is one for the books. Brad Pitt is great too, calm, charming, casually dangerous, and funny while he is high as fuck. I like how he plays Cliff as someone who barely reacts, but I still feel the threat under the surface. And then the signature QT ultra violence at the ending, bloody fun. Those hippies deserved dying in the most brutal and gruesome way, and Quentin films it like catharsis, not tragedy. This is really a “what if” happy ending, where the Manson crew ends up colliding with Rick and Cliff instead of Sharon Tate’s home. I read it as a love letter to the forgotten Hollywood working stars like Rick Dalton who are getting pushed out by changing times, and also a love letter to Sharon Tate, like Quentin giving her a different fate inside his movie universe. Much better on the third try.