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Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood poster

Is Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood OK for Kids?

ComedyDramaThriller
17+
R⭐ 7.6 / 102019 · 2h 42m
Quentin Tarantino

Where to Watch

United States

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Streaming data by JustWatch

What's In It

Based on the actual screenplay
🗡️Violence
Extreme▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
0
Cartoon / Comedic
5
Action & Peril
1
Injuries & Death Shown
3
Graphic & Disturbing
  • Home invasion climax: intruders break into Rick's house intending to murder his wife and Cliff, resulting in graphic stabbing and shooting deaths
  • Cliff and his dog Brandy violently kill two of the intruders in a brutal physical confrontation
  • Rick uses a flamethrower he kept as a movie prop to kill the final intruder, described as burning her alive
  • Cliff is seriously injured during the home invasion and requires hospitalization afterward
  • Earlier in the film, Bruce Lee and Cliff engage in a competitive wrestling match on a film set that ends with Cliff throwing Bruce Lee into a car
  • Rick confronts a noisy car on his private road at midnight, pulling a gun and threatening the occupants
  • On-screen fictional violence includes Jake Cahill's TV fight scene and discussion of a flamethrower massacre of Nazi soldiers in 'The Fourteen Fists of McCluskey'
  • Overall tone shifts from playful/comedic stunt violence for most of the film to sudden, graphic real violence in the last act
💬Language
Extreme▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
6
Mild Words
(damn, hell)
15
Moderate
(ass, b**ch)
125
Strong
(sh*t)
165
Extreme
(f**k)
  • The f-word ('f**k/f**king') is used an extremely high 165 times throughout the script
  • 'S**t/shitty' is used 48 times, 'da**/godda**' 32 times, and 'a**' 24 times
  • Other strong language includes 'b**ch' (8), 'cr*p' (5), 'b**tard' (3), 'cock' (4), and 'wh**e' (1)
  • Milder language includes 'hell' (15 times) and 'p**s' (6 times)
  • This is pervasive, constant strong and extreme profanity throughout nearly every scene of dialogue
👻Scary Scenes
Extreme▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
1
Mildly Tense
1
Startling Moments
2
Genuinely Scary
3
Deeply Disturbing
  • Rick hears a noisy car on his private road at midnight and confronts the driver at gunpoint in a tense standoff
  • Intruders break into Rick's house while he is in the kitchen making drinks, escalating into a scary, prolonged home invasion
  • A man claiming to be 'the devil' enters the home saying he is 'here to do the devil's business' — a genuinely disturbing moment
  • Francesca wakes up in bed to discover intruders in the home, a startling and scary sequence
  • The extended home invasion involves multiple attackers with weapons chasing characters through the house
  • The family dog Brandy suddenly jumps on one of the attackers in a startling moment
  • The sequence resolves with the flamethrower killing of the final intruder — an intense and visually extreme resolution rather than a comforting one
💕Romance
Extreme▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
1
Crushes & Holding Hands
1
Kissing & Dating
3
Suggestive
1
Sexual Content
  • Pussycat, a young hippie, offers to perform oral sex on Cliff while he's driving her — a clearly suggestive moment
  • Sharon Tate and Jay Sebring share warm, flirtatious interaction with romantic/friendly tension
  • It's noted that Jay has unrequited feelings for Sharon and knows her husband Roman will 'f**k things up'
  • Sharon is shown in a nightgown after her pregnancy, changing into comfortable clothes
  • There is a brief reference to Squeaky having had sex with George Spahn that morning
  • Rick is briefly shown lying with his Italian wife Francesca
🍺Substances
Moderate▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
2
Mentioned in Passing
3
Shown Casually
4
Featured Prominently
0
Glorified or Abused
  • Rick drinks multiple whiskey sours throughout the evening, explicitly discussed as alcoholic behavior
  • Rick and Cliff drink extensively at Casa Vega, having multiple margaritas and getting drunk enough to need a cab home
  • Rick makes frozen margaritas for himself after arriving home past midnight
  • Hippies at Spahn Ranch are shown smoking joints repeatedly throughout multiple scenes
  • Cliff smokes an acid-dipped cigarette for the first time (bought for 50 cents), described as getting high
  • Marvin Schwartz drinks cognac and smokes Havana cigars in a casual, non-judgmental context
  • Abigail is shown playing piano after smoking a joint in her room
⚡Stimulation
Moderate▼
Moments in the script, mildest → most intense
0
Gently Engaging
2
Exciting
3
Intense
0
Overwhelming
  • The flamethrower fight in 'The Fourteen Fists of McCluskey' is an extended, explosive action sequence
  • The 30+ minute home invasion climax combines multiple attackers, weapons, chasing, and a flamethrower finale — highly intense
  • Rick's emotional breakdown scene in the car, where he harshly self-criticizes his acting and career, is intense but quieter/dialogue-driven
  • Bruce Lee's martial arts demonstration and sparring with Cliff is an exciting but shorter sequence
  • The Lancer Western pilot filming includes horse riding, gunfights, and a kidnapping plot — exciting but not overwhelming
  • Sensory-sensitive children would likely find the final act's rapid escalation and flamethrower violence overwhelming
Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood — Heads Up for Parents

Despite a nostalgic, comedic tone for most of its runtime, the final act includes a sudden and graphic home invasion where Cliff's dog helps kill an intruder and Rick burns a woman alive with a flamethrower — a tonal shift that may catch parents off guard given the film's earlier lighter feel.

About Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood

Set in 1969 Hollywood, this is a drama about a fading TV actor, Rick Dalton, and his loyal stunt double Cliff Booth as they navigate an industry passing them by, living next door to rising star Sharon Tate. The tone shifts from wistful comedy and industry satire into sudden, brutal violence in its final act tied to the real-life Manson Family murders.

⚠️
Watch with your child
The extreme profanity (165 f-words), graphic home invasion violence with a flamethrower killing, and mature themes around alcoholism and career despair mean this film should only be watched by older teens (17+) with a parent present to provide context, especially regarding the real-life Manson Family reference.

Family Takeaways from Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood

What it gets right

  • ✓The film portrays genuine, enduring loyalty between Rick and Cliff, showing that friendship can survive career decline and personal struggles
  • ✓It depicts a mentor figure (Rick) taking real interest in helping a young actress, Marabella, improve her craft and understand character investment

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood Cultural & Values Guide

Cultural & Values Guide

Values & Themes
●Traditional family values

Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth's loyal friendship represents old Hollywood values of loyalty and brotherhood. The film celebrates a nostalgic vision of traditional masculine friendship and mentorship from a bygone era.

Cast:Leonardo DiCaprioBrad PittMargot RobbieEmile HirschMargaret Qualley

Is Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood Appropriate for Your Child's Age?

✗Age 5: Not recommended for 5-year-olds
✗Age 8: Not recommended for 8-year-olds
✗Age 10: Not recommended for 10-year-olds
✗Age 12: Not recommended for 12-year-olds
✗Age 13: Not recommended for 13-year-olds
✗Age 15: Not recommended for 15-year-olds
✓Age 17: Generally appropriate for 17-year-olds

Individual children may vary — use your judgment.

Parents also ask about Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood

  • Is Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood appropriate for a 17-year-old?
  • Does Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood have violence?
  • Is Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood OK for kids?
  • What is the age rating for Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood?

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