Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)

Here’s the honest part: Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood spends a lot of its 161 minutes just driving around Los Angeles with the radio on, and Quentin Tarantino calls that a plot. Sometimes it is one. Leonardo DiCaprio is great as Rick Dalton, a fading TV cowboy who melts down in his trailer over forgotten lines, then nails his next scene in front of a tiny co-star who takes acting way more seriously than he does. Brad Pitt plays Cliff Booth like the calmest man alive, fixing an antenna on a roof like he’s getting paid by the shingle. Margot Robbie’s Sharon Tate barely gets to talk, but the film treats her with real tenderness, and knowing what happened to the real Sharon Tate puts a quiet dread under every sunny scene. Too many detours, though. A 7.1 because the hangout is gorgeous and the movie forgets to go anywhere for long stretches. $843 says you sit in your parked car after this with the radio on for way longer than you need to.

What works: DiCaprio’s sweaty, insecure Rick Dalton, Brad Pitt’s effortless cool, and a loving recreation of 1969 Los Angeles.

What doesn’t: Long stretches wander with no real direction, and Sharon Tate is written more as a glowing presence than a full person.

Who it’s for: People who love old Hollywood, long drives and hangout movies where the mood matters more than the plot.