TRIGGER WARNING: This post discusses both extreme physical and sexual violence.

SPOILER WARNING: Spoilers for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Inglorious Bastards and The Hateful Eight can be found below.

STORY: A one-time-big-time TV star finds his career in slow decline. He makes efforts to revitalize it, but obscurity’s momentum is strong. Then one day, him and his friend fight off and kill some random home-invaders. This catches the attention of a currently-big-time director who might just give our actor his second chance. THE END.

Art doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Romeo and Juliette only makes sense if you understand both internal family politics, and inter-tribal conflicts. Avengers Endgame only makes sense if you have an intricate understanding of the 10,000 interwoven MCU narratives that came before.

Context matters. Quintin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood knows this. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood takes it a step further. Its story is that of the failing actor, the one I described a couple paragraphs back. Not much of a story at all. Not without context.