The 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' Ratings Will Have You Running To The Theater
Quentin Tarantino has been one of Hollywood's significant filmmakers ever since the arrival of Pulp Fiction in 1994. Over the last 25 years, his movies have ranged from Jackie Brown to Django Unchained to the deliberately misspelled Inglourious Basterds. All along the way, critics have loved his work, making him one of the most celebrated directors of his generation. From the looks of things, he hasn't lost his touch. The Once Upon A Time In Hollywood ratings for his latest film are once again sky-high.
Tarantino famously said that he would quit after making 10 movies. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is his ninth, which makes it his penultimate film if he sticks to that claim. Of the eight films that came before it, Tarantino has done quite well in the rankings, with his lowest Rotten Tomatoes score at 65% fresh for Death Proof. His other seven films are all high enough to hit the "Certified" level of freshness, from The Hateful Eight's 74% fresh to Kill Bill's 84% fresh. His debut film, Reservoir Dogs, which sits today at 91% fresh, is bested only by Pulp Fiction, which sits at the top with 92%.
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is currently sitting just beneath those two films, logging in at 89% fresh ranking with 157 reviews counted.
The Washington Post praises leads Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt as the movie's chief delights.
The film benefits from committed, laser-focused performances from DiCaprio and Pitt, the latter of whom especially brings a sly knowingness to the subtleties of playing second banana.
Rolling Stone says it's the must-see film of the year.
Tarantino's all-star fantasia links Hollywood and Manson-era violence into the best and most explosive cinema we've seen all year. You can feel Tarantino's mad love for movies in all their disreputable dazzle and subversive art in every shot.
The AV Club praises it as Tarantino's most personal film.
This is Tarantino's most personal film in decades, and the longings expressed in it flow from who he is as a person: an established middle-aged white guy confronting his own impending irrelevance.
As for how the film will do at the box office, Hollywood is holding its breath. This is the biggest non-tentpole, non-franchise, non-sequel to open all year. How audiences respond could determine if studios will be willing to take chances on original stories like this going forward.
According to The Hollywood Reporter:
Sony, along with the major tracking services, are predicting a domestic opening in the $30 million range, but rivals and other box office analysts believe it will come in at $40 million or more. Since adults don't rush out on opening weekend, the bigger question is the movie's staying power.... Once Upon a Time is out-pacing all other Tarantino films. In August 2009, Inglourious Basterds, also starring Pitt, bowed to $38 million, not adjusted for inflation. And over Christmas in 2012, Django Unchained, starring DiCaprio, posted a six-day start of $63.1 million, including $30.1 million for the Dec. 28-30 weekend.
It remains to be seen if Once Upon A Time In Hollywood can bring a box-office fairytale opening weekend. The film opens on Friday, July 26, 2019.
