Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Movie review by Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 17+

Tarantino's entertaining but violent movietown epic.

R 2019 161 minutes
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Parents say

age 15+

Based on 51 reviews

Kids say

age 14+

Based on 68 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Once Upon a Time in Hollywood -- an intense crime movie written and directed by Quentin Tarantino and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie -- is set in 1969 and tangentially involves the Manson Family. As usual for Tarantino, there are scenes of extremely shocking, graphic violence, including a woman's face being smashed repeatedly against the wall, vicious dog attacks, characters getting burned by a flamethrower, punching, blood spurts, gun use, fighting, and more. Language is also very strong, with tons of uses of "f--k," "s--t," "a--hole," "c--k," and more. There's somewhat explicit sex talk, a scene set at the Playboy Mansion, and scantily clad women. Characters drink and smoke tons of cigarettes (one tinged with acid), and one character wonders whether he might be an alcoholic. The movie is definitely mature, but it's also beautifully made, complex, funny, and smart, though it does mix up fact and fiction.

Community Reviews

Starstepper
Starstepper Adult
July 26, 2019
age 18+

Good story despite gruesome scenes

The story takes place in the same time as the infamous Manson murders and plot hits along points relating to that real life story. If you (or your child) are disturbed by those murders, this movie isn't for you (or your child). I was plesantly surprised by the lack of actual violence in this film. This director usually has excessive violence in his films. However, most of the violence in this movie was portrayed as just special effects for fictional films. Smoking is almost constant in the film, but it feels accurate to the time period. Drinking is also prominent, but didn't seem glamorized and one scene even shows a character fighting internally with his drinking problem (only to continue drinking later in the film, however). The story and characters in this film are top-notch. The 2 main characters have a deep, supportive friendship that is deeply touching. There are young girls who are portrayed as intelligent and independent, and they are surprisingly and refreshingly respected by some otherwise gruff characters. Altogether a very good movie, but research the director's work beforehand so you have a bit of an idea what to expect.

This title has:

Great role models
Too much violence
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
1 person found this helpful.
Kid
khandyshopp Adult
March 17, 2023
age 14+

Gores Violence but good

Honestly, this film is great. the violence is quite harsh with a bloody ending as a girl gets her head [email protected] against a wall, dog attacks and bloody attacks shown on screen. also flamethrower used and people burning to death it’s not as bad as you think it is. Also lots of swearing and often drinking, smoking and kissing. If your kid is mature enough and can handle gore, you could probably watch this film. It’s probably one of the easier to watch Tarentino films

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 51 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD, it's 1969, and hard-drinking, fading cowboy/action star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) struggles with his career, trying to decide whether to continue playing bad guys in TV pilots or go to Italy to make Spaghetti Westerns. Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), Rick's longtime stuntman, is now largely unemployable and passes the time driving Rick around and taking care of Rick's home maintenance. Living next door is rising star Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), who recently married director Roman Polanski and is enjoying the response to her new movie, The Wrecking Crew. Trouble arises when Cliff picks up a hitchhiker (Margaret Qualley) and takes her to the Spahn Ranch, where the soon-to-be notorious Manson Family lives. And a terrible coincidence brings the cult members back to Hollywood.

Is It Any Good?

Quentin Tarantino returns, refreshed, with this funny, beautiful period piece, wrapping his story's loopy laces around movie lore and history, and mixing life and art into a cool, wild collage. With Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Tarantino returns to Los Angeles for the first time since the Kill Bill movies, and it appears to have recharged his batteries. The film feels excited by the way cinema is imprinted in Hollywood's streets, but also the way its connected/disconnected sprawl offers any number of cool, hidden stories at any given moment. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood moves beautifully and simply, following vintage cars as they blast 1960s-era pop tunes from tinny radios.

But the roads traveled weave together in complex ways, with real history and fake history crashing up against each other, combining into what can only be cinema. As usual, Tarantino also toys with violence, both imagined and real, both direct and indirect, subverting expectations. At the center, Robbie's Sharon Tate is a little underexplored, but she at least seems sweet and smart. Rick and Cliff, meanwhile, feel like old buddies, with a comfortable shorthand and warmth between them. The combination in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is epic, exhilarating, and wildly entertaining.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's violence. How did it make you feel? What does the movie have to say about violence in general, both in movies and in real life?

  • How are drinking, smoking, and drug use depicted? Are they glamorized? Are there realistic consequences? Why is that important?

  • What really happened to Sharon Tate and her friends? How does the movie change that? What is the movie saying about fact and fiction? History and movies?

  • How is sex portrayed? What values are imparted?

Movie Details

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