Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood

If you are after a comedy that actually makes you laugh out loud, Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood is available in Australia on Amazon Prime Video and BINGE, and in the US on fuboTV and YouTube TV right now. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. 14,962 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Leonardo DiCaprio sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Amazon Prime Video.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood earns its spot. Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood does what great comedies rarely manage — it is actually funny, consistently, across the whole run. Los Angeles, 1969. TV star Rick Dalton, a struggling actor specializing in westerns, and stuntman Cliff Booth, his best friend, try to survive in a constantly changing movie industry. Dalton is the neighbor of the young and promising actress and model Sharon Tate, who has just married the prestigious Polish director Roman Polanski… Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt lead a cast with the timing to make it work. It was released in 2019. The real test of any comedy is whether it is still funny once you know all the jokes, and Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood holds up on rewatch in a way that separates it from one-off curiosities. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

For viewers who want something light without wanting something stupid, Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood respects your intelligence. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Leonardo DiCaprio is funny in a way that holds up on rewatch. Put it on when you need something guaranteed to land.