aliyah’s review published on Letterboxd:
melting out of time into glowing amber streams, honey-laced skies drip sunsets onto streets. the air that tastes the milky skirts that burn against starry skin. margot robbie’s presence sets the film alight in flickers; bursts of stardust sprinkled across the screen with a warmth that reaches you in your seats. aside from that, it’s difficult to swallow. immersed into a dreamy world of yellows and oranges tattooed across flowy fabrics, the audience is expected to swim in the hollywood fantasy, a love letter to a hazy past. a lot of the time, it works. though underneath the sunny, fiery, mist, is the sense that this never quite takes flight. glossy on the surface, sometimes messy underneath; once upon a time in hollywood is littered with scenes that seem unnecessary (some even offensive) and rooted in uncertainty. despite this, my overall experience was stained with specks of golden. my first 35mm screening, and i certainly enjoyed it.
