The First Reactions To Quentin Tarantino’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD Are Here

The new trailer for Quentin Tarantino’s ninth film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, dropped earlier today ahead of the film’s Cannes premiere, teasing what looks like a wild fantasy version of Tinseltown in 1969. It was a time of free love, of mayhem, of murder; fertile ground for a filmmaker so obsessed with Hollywood legacies, smooth action, and intricate storytelling. But would it actually be good, or would Tarantino’s impulses get in the way of the sensitive material its attempting to adapt?

We’ll have to see for ourselves when the film is released on July 26, but for now we have the first reactions out of Cannes. And they sound mostly positive! Even the mixed reviews sound in line with what we know about Tarantino: that he’s a wildly divisive filmmaker. Here are some of the first reactions to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

First up, it looks like the film may be doing what many of us assumed all along: changing history as we know it. That’s not a spoiler, since the marketing has made it pretty clear that the events depicted in the film exist in a dreamworld version of Hollywood. The title even uses the phrase “once upon a time.” A few critics made note of Tarantino’s “Twilight Zone” world and how “historically dubious” the film is.

Others noted how the pulpy material is perfect for Tarantino.

Some critics didn’t love the film or at least haven’t yet arrived at a solid reaction.

Others noted that the film is actually one of Tarantino’s most sensitive and affectionate, which is definitely surprising given some of the early criticisms of the project when it was first announced.

And would it be a Tarantino movie if people didn’t take notice of all the feet?

Those are a whole lot of varying reactions, so this definitely sounds like a Tarantino movie. Luckily for the filmmaker, even with some of the detractions, it still got a long standing ovation from the notoriously fickle Cannes audience.

We can’t wait to see where we land when the film hits theaters in July.

Images: Sony Pictures