History Film / OnceUponATimeInHollywood

* {{Novelisation}}: Tarantino published a novelisation of this film in 2021, which he described as "a complete rethinking of the entire story". The book adds details to various sequences and characters, including multiple chapters dedicated to Cliff's backstory. The finale occurs midway through the story and adds an epilogue where Rick finds fame as a regular on ''Series/TheTonightShowWithJohnnyCarson''. It also focuses on Charles Manson's pursuit of a music career and the "inner worlds" of Sharon Tate and Trudi Frazer.

** Critique is given on a large amount of mid-century films and filmmakers through the minds of Tate, Dalton, and Booth. The latter is a movie buff, who believes Creator/MichelangeloAntonioni is a fraud and has given up on the films of Creator/FedericoFellini. However, he is a fan of Creator/AkiraKurosawa, Creator/AlanLadd, and erotic films, some of which he views at the (now Tarantino-owned) New Beverly Cinema. When he goes to see ''I Am Curious (Yellow)'', "Cliff wanted to lick the screen". The character's appreciation of pop music is expressed in the novel as well. While Creator/RomanPolanski hates Bubblegum music, Tate silently likes it. She notably enjoys Ohio Express' "Yummy Yummy Yummy" and "Chewy Chewy," Music/BobbySherman and his song "Julie, Do Ya Love Me," and The Royal Guardsmen's "Snoopy vs. the Red Baron". "She liked Music/TheMonkees more than Music/TheBeatles". Booth is an avid Music/TomJones fan, and especially of the song, "Delilah," because as Tarantino states, "Cliff is partial to songs about guys who kill their women".

** Several people, real and fictional appear. A whole chapter is dedicated to actor Aldo Ray, whose procurement of a bottle of gin from Booth leads to him being fired from one of the Spaghetti Westerns Dalton is starring in. Tarantino's step-father Curtis Zastoupil appears as a character in the novel and gets Rick Dalton's autograph for a six-year-old Tarantino. Other people who appear include Music/DennisWilson, Terry Melcher (the son of Creator/DorisDay and record producer for Creator/ColumbiaRecords), Creator/CandiceBergen, Gregg Jakobson (a songwriter who became close to the Manson Family), Andrew Duggan (the actor who portrays Murdoch Lancer, whose character seeks out his two estranged sons from different mothers, to help save his ranch from the land pirates), and Jim Brown, who would have been played by Creator/JamieFoxx in a scene where Cliff had a fistfight with him on the set of ''Film/AHundredRifles''.

** On the set of ''The Green Hornet'', which was filmed in 1966, Bruce Lee refers to Joe Lewis as "that white kickboxing asshole." First off, the term "kickboxing" did not replace "full-contact karate" outside of Japan until a few years later. Further, Lee had a cordial relationship with Lewis himself at this time. It's suspected that the two had a falling out around 1971, as evidenced by Lee recasting the role of Colt in ''Film/WayOfTheDragon'' that was originally intended for Lewis.

* TriangRelations: Sharon and Roman are HappilyMarried and in love, but they're still best friends with Sharon's ex-boyfriend Jay Sebring, who in turn is still carrying a torch for Sharon. Steve [=McQueen=] voices his suspicion that Jay's staying around Sharon to pick up the pieces should Roman break her heart.

* BareYourMidriff: Being set in the hippie era, many women wear crop tops and the like.

** This film's version of Bruce Lee mouths off kickboxers, and among them Joe Lewis, while in the set of ''The Green Hornet'', set presumably in 1966-1967 if it follows the real timeline. There are a few problems with this, though. "Kickboxing" is a word coined in Japan, and at the time it was an obscure term used for a ruleset practiced solely there. America would not develop its own kickboxing style until 1970, when Lewis and Greg Baines debuted the format in their famous match, and back then it was still officially called "full contact karate" due to this origins being in this martial art, not receiving the official "American kickboxing" tag until a few years later. This is not, however, the biggest problem: in real life, Lee ''admired'' Lewis for his accomplishments in karate, and would actively seek to become his training partner in 1967, around this very time, eventually becoming his teacher and helping him to develop full-contact karate.

* NoPronunciationGuide: Rick's character on ''Lancer'' is named [=DeCoteau=], which he thinks is pronounced Dakota but everyone else pronounces as Daycahtoo (the French pronunciation would be closer to Decohtow).

* AluminumChristmasTrees:
** Manson tells Jay Sebring he's a friend of Music/DennisWilson (of [[Music/TheBeachBoys Beach Boys]] fame) when he's scoping out the Cielo Drive house. They actually did know each other rather well; Dennis met Manson after picking up some hitchhiking Family members in 1968 (not unlike Cliff), and Manson's Family later moved into Dennis's house (uninvited). Manson even wrote a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Never_Learn_Not_to_Love song that the Beach Boys recorded and released]]. [[WeUsedToBeFriends Their relationship then deteriorated]], Manson, disappointed and showing his anger, suddenly sent Dennis death threats, and the Family were soon kicked out of Dennis's house. Dennis had also introduced Manson to RecordProducer Terry Melcher,[[note]]whose clients included Music/PaulRevereAndTheRaiders, who have three songs on the soundtrack[[/note]] but the two disliked each other. It seems (both in RealLife and InUniverse) that Manson targeted the Cielo Drive house because it was Terry's old house.
** Creator/SharonTate and Creator/BruceLee really ''did'' know each other, and he really ''did'' serve as a martial arts advisor on the set of ''Film/TheWreckingCrew'' -- so Sharon's flashback about getting martial arts training from Lee is based on factual details.
** A lot of Sharon's routine in the film is accurate to her final months. Her placing an order at a LA bookstore for Creator/ThomasHardy's ''Literature/TessOfTheDUrbervilles'' for her husband to read really did happen. Sharon liked the book and believed she could play the title character, and that Polanski would make a great film of it. A decade or so after her death, Roman Polanski made ''Film/{{Tess}}'' and dedicated the film to her. Likewise, the scene where "Charlie" comes to the house asking for Terry Melcher only to glimpse Sharon at the doorway also happened, as reported by her photographer friend, who intercepted Manson and told him Terry wasn't there.

* ShesGotLegs: Pussycat wears short shorts with a halter top, with her body language and camera framing emphasizing her legs ([[AuthorAppeal and feet too]], because it's a Tarantino film).

* {{Deconstruction}}: The final act of the film is dedicated to completely taking apart [[spoiler:the mythology of the Manson murderers by having them run up [[AlwaysABiggerFish against opponents who aren't even well-prepared but have the ability to defend themselves]], exposing the family as a bunch of idiots rather than the exotic boogeymen they became in pop culture in the decades following their crimes.]]

** The overall opinion of Creator/RomanPolanski is very glowing and worshipful, which reflects public opinion of the time period. With that said, Steve [=McQueen=] muses that one day he'll "screw it up" (albeit in the context of his relationship with Sharon Tate).

** This film's version of Bruce Lee mouths off kickboxers, and among them Joe Lewis, while in the set of ''The Green Hornet'', set presumably in 1966-1967 if it follows the real timeline. There are a few problems with this, though. "Kickboxing" is a word coined in Japan, and at the time it was an obscure term used for a ruleset practiced solely there. America would not develop its own kickboxing style until 1970, when Lewis and Greg Baines debuted the format in their famous match, and back then it was still officially called "full contact karate" due to this origins being in this martial art, not receiving the official "American kickboxing" tag until a few years later. This is not, however, the biggest problem: the real Joe Lewis, at the time a karate fighter, was a ''close friend and student to Lee himself'', someone the real Lee would have never dissed off, especially given that Lee himself agreed with Lewis' views on martial arts and actually helped him to develop full-contact karate.

** Near the start of the film, Schwarz gives a detailed description of all of the differnt film technologies he used to watch various films (such as 35mm, 16mm, and kinescope) and the scene is interspersed with various TechnologyPorn shots of film reels and projectors. Tarantino is a major proponent of keeping traditional filmmaking techniques alive, and has even threatened to retire if the time comes when he can no longer shoot and exhibit his movies on film.

** Near the start of the film, Schwarz gives a detailed description of all of the traditional film technology he used to watch various films (such as 35mm, 16mm, and kinescope) and the scene is interspersed with various TechnologyPorn shots of film reels and projectors. Tarantino is a major proponent of keeping traditional filmmaking techniques alive, and has even threatened to retire if he can no longer shoot and exhibit his movies on film.

** Cliff's [[spoiler: blasé first reactions to the would-be killers due to him being slightly tripped on acid]] nods to Brad Pitt's stoner character in ''Film/TrueRomance'', his first ever Tarantino-connected movie role.

** This ''would'' have been the case with Creator/BurtReynolds, who was originally cast as George Spahn before his sudden death in 2018, causing Bruce Dern to take his place. In the film, Rick Dalton stars as Michael Murtaugh on an episode of ''Series/TheFBI'', a role that was originally played by Reynolds in reality.
** [[Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio Rick Dalton]] is [[spoiler: ''almost'' assassinated while [[Film/TheGreatGatsby2013 lounging in his swimming pool]], though unlike in that film he survives the attempt and in fact turns the tables on his would-be killer]].

* TheSixties: There's really no shortage of visual (and musical) clues that the film is set in the late sixties (aside, of course, from the captions appearing on screen multiple times which give the year as 1969). The clothing and hairstyles are typically 1960s, hippies abound and RealLife 1968-1969 movies such as ''Krakatoa, East of Java'', ''The Night They Raided Minsky's'', ''Film/{{Romeo and Juliet|1968}}'', and ''Film/TheWreckingCrew'' (featuring the real Sharon Tate) are screened in theaters. As for the music, the teaser trailer uses "Straight Shooter" by Music/TheMamasAndThePapas and "Bring A Little Lovin" by Los Bravos (both songs were released in 1966), and the official trailer has "Good Thing" (also from 1966) by Music/PaulRevereAndTheRaiders and Music/NeilDiamond's "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show" (1969).

* TheSixties: There's really no shortage of visual (and musical) clues that the film is set in the late sixties. The clothing and hairstyles are typically 1960s, hippies abound and RealLife 1968-1969 movies such as ''Krakatoa, East of Java'', ''The Night They Raided Minsky's'', ''Film/{{Romeo and Juliet|1968}}'', and ''Film/TheWreckingCrew'' (featuring the real Sharon Tate) are screened in theaters. As for the music, the teaser trailer uses "Straight Shooter" by Music/TheMamasAndThePapas and "Bring A Little Lovin" by Los Bravos (both songs were released in 1966), and the official trailer has "Good Thing" (also from 1966) by Music/PaulRevereAndTheRaiders and Music/NeilDiamond's "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show" (1969).

** Cliff's [[spoiler: blasé first reactions to the would-be killers due to him being slightly tripped on acid,]] nods to Brad Pitt's stoner character in ''Film/TrueRomance'', his first ever Tarantino-connected movie role.

** The film spends a portion of the middle act following Rick starring as the heavy in the pilot episode of the western TV series ''Lancer.'' Creator/BruceDern, who plays George Spahn, guest starred in two episodes of Lancer in 1968 and 1969. In fact, the official novelisation reveals that [=Scoot McNairy=]'s character's (Bob "the businessman" Gilbert) in-universe actor is actually a younger version of Bruce.

* ActorInspiredElement: In-universe. Sam Wanamaker, the director of the ''Lancer'' episode Rick is shooting, praises him for the idea to toss the little girl at the end of the kidnapping negotiation scene.
* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: Rick {{improv}}s a triple alliteration ("beaner bronco buster") during his scene in ''Lancer'' which director Sam Wanamaker absolutely ''loves''.

** While still the third-largest role, based on the advertisements, you'd think Sharon Tate had a lot more to do, and more substance in this story. Instead, she just pops up here and there, has little dialogue, and has no actual impact on the plot until the very end.

** Manson tells Jay Sebring he's a friend of Music/DennisWilson (of [[Music/TheBeachBoys Beach Boys]] fame) when he's scoping out the Cielo Drive house. They actually did know each other rather well; Dennis met Manson after picking up some hitchhiking Family members in 1968 (not unlike Cliff), and Manson's Family later moved into Dennis's house (uninvited). Manson even wrote a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Never_Learn_Not_to_Love song that the Beach Boys recorded and released]]. [[WeUsedToBeFriends Their relationship deteriorated]], Manson, disappointed and showing his anger, suddenly sent Dennis death threats, and the Family were soon kicked out of Dennis's house. Dennis had also introduced Manson to RecordProducer Terry Melcher,[[note]]whose clients included Music/PaulRevereAndTheRaiders, who have three songs on the soundtrack[[/note]] but the two disliked each other. It seems (both in RealLife and InUniverse) that Manson targeted the Cielo Drive house because it was Terry's old house.
** Creator/SharonTate and Creator/BruceLee really ''did'' know each other, and he really ''did'' serve as a martial arts advisor on the set of ''Film/TheWreckingCrew''--so Sharon's flashback about getting martial arts training from Lee is based on factual details.
** A lot of Sharon's routine in the film is accurate to her final months. Her placing an order at a LA bookstore for Creator/ThomasHardy's ''Literature/TessOfTheDurbervilles'' for her husband to read really did happen. Sharon liked the book and believed she could play the title character, and that Polanski would make a great film of it. A decade or so after her death, Roman Polanski made ''Film/{{Tess}}'' and dedicated the film to her. Likewise, that scene where "Charlie" comes to the house asking for Terry Melcher only to glimpse Sharon at the doorway, also happened as reported by her photographer friend who intercepted Manson and told him Terry wasn't there.

* AnimalMotifs: Parodied with Cliff whose association with dogs is an early humanizing element until the climax of the film where [[spoiler: his dog's loyalty is shown in her viciousness to protect Cliff.]]
* ArentYouGoingToRavishMe: Pussycat bluntly offers Cliff a blowjob when he gives her a ride out of Los Angeles. He politely turns her down, because she can't prove she's of legal age and he doesn't want any more trouble with the law. Pussy actually finds his refusal charming, and settles for [[LapPillow resting her head in his lap]] as he drives, and thus culminates in him visiting the Manson compound early.

* ArtisticLicenseSpace: It would not have been dark at 7 pm on August 8 in southern California. In fact, the sun wouldn't even have set yet.

** Rick is shown practicing with a flamethrower for a role, and after recoiling, asks if it has to be so hot. The response was [[ShapedLikeItself it was a flamethrower]].

** The deaths of [[spoiler:Tex, Sadie, and Patricia]] are brutally violent, but as they came at the hands of people they were actively attempting to murder (and in RealLife, [[spoiler:successfully murdered a pregnant woman]]), they are well deserved.

* AudibleGleam: Can be heard when Rick winks during his Red Apple commercial in the end credits.

** Near the start of the film, Schwarz gives a detailed description of all of the traditional film technology he used to watch various films (such as 35mm, 16mm and kinescope) and the scene is interspersed with various TechnologyPorn shots of film reels and projectors. Tarantino is a major proponent of keeping traditional filmmaking techniques alive and has even threatened to retire if he can no longer shoot and exhibit his movies on film.
* BadassDecay: Discussed in-universe; Marvin Schwarzz taps into Rick's internal fear of no longer being worthy of leading roles, and suggests he relocates to Europe to be the leading man in a bunch of foreign films. [[spoiler: Rick eventually agrees, and it is implied he bounces back after this.]]

** From initial appearance, it seems like Rick and Cliff's friendship is heavily one-sided, with Rick taking advantage of Cliff's generosity while failing to get Cliff work on a show he landed a part in with a seemingly weak excuse that the stunt co-ordinator has a feud with Cliff over a past incident while filming ''Series/TheGreenHornet''. One of Cliff's later flashbacks then reveals that Rick has in fact been standing up for Cliff and trying to find him work in spite of his own fading career, and that the aforementioned feud was over Cliff getting in a fight with Bruce Lee on set and damaging the car of one of the crew members. The rest of the film makes it clear that for all Rick's faults, he does genuinely care for Cliff and sticks his neck out for him when it counts.

** [[spoiler:When Sadie crashes to the backyard, Rick drops his radio into the pool, and there's a specific underwater shot of the radio sinking to the bottom. You'd think one of them would get shocked by electricity meeting water -- only it turns out [[ShownTheirWork a battery powered radio would contain nowhere near enough voltage to seriously shock someone]]. Instead, Rick swims out of the pool safely and torches Sadie with a flamethrower while she's deliriously flailing in the pool and erratically shooting the gun into the air.]]
* BaitAndSwitchBoss: A rare heroic example. [[spoiler:The film builds up towards the Manson family's fated murder of Sharon Tate. At the climax, they set out to do the deed, but Rick confronts them to complain about their loud car. They promptly decide to switch targets to Rick, and it's ultimately Cliff and Rick who face the final confrontation.]]

* BlackAndGreyMorality: Unusually for Tarantino movie, and one case where it's [[TruthInTelevision completely true to real life.]] Rick Dalton is a bit dumb but basically a good man struggling to adapt to a flagging career, Cliff is an incredibly easygoing and friendly dude despite being ''[[TheUnreveal suspected]]'' of having murdered his wife, and Sharon Tate is practically a [[NiceGirl human ray of sunshine.]] Everyone else is a JerkWithAHeartOfGold at the ''worst'', except for the Manson family, who are rightfully portrayed as vicious, petty, arrogant, murderous filthy human scum. [[spoiler:It even ends with the most overtly HappyEnding in probably any Tarantino movie, where the murderous thugs get killed in [[CruelAndUnusualDeath horrifically violent ways]] while all the innocent people survive.]]

** In the meeting with Mr. Schwarz in the beginning of the film, Rick tells Schwarz that Cliff is his driver, to which Schwarz tells Cliff that he must be "a good friend", to which Cliff casually responds "I try." [[spoiler: At the end of the movie where Cliff is taken away by an ambulance, knowing they will part ways in life after he heals up, Rick tells him sincerely "You're a good friend", to which Cliff again responds "I try."]]

** Creator/TimothyOlyphant is perhaps most famous in recent years for playing the protagonist, a heroic U.S. marshal, in modern western ''Series/{{Justified}}'' for multiple seasons. Here, he plays a heroic cowboy in the pilot of a new Western series, ''Lancer''.

** Cliff is shown early on to be a good enough fighter to take on Bruce Lee. Those skills come in handy in the climax.
** Brandy, Cliff's dog, is obviously extremely well-trained and Cliff is skilled in handling her. This plays a role when [[spoiler:she's revealed to be a trained ''attack dog'' who obeys his orders while taking down the Family members]].
** Rick proudly relates how he learned to use a flamethrower for real so he didn't have to rely on a stuntman during a scene of ''The Fourteen Fists of [=McCluskey=]''. In the finale, he uses these skills once again.
* ConvictedByPublicOpinion: [[spoiler:Cliff]] is suspected to have killed his wife but was never convicted. Despite this, everyone in the film business thinks he's guilty, and many refuse to work with him.
* CoolCar: In a film full (more than 2000!) of vintage 60s autos, Rick's yellow '66 Coupe de Ville stands out. [[note]]Fun fact: It's the same car driven by Mr. Blonde in ''Film/ReservoirDogs''. (Not the same model; ''the same car''.) Creator/MichaelMadsen owns it and loaned it for filming of both movies.[[/note]]

** During the final fight, [[spoiler:Cliff]] effortlessly dismantles the [[spoiler:three Manson Family members]]. He only takes one hit due to being distracted and still manages to take down his opponent despite being drunk and high.

** One of Cliff's first lines is admonishing Rick, "Don't cry in front of the Mexicans!" as they stand in front of several Latino valets. This isn't something you'd typically hear today.

** The characters also [[EverybodySmokes smoke a lot]]. It's even implied to be taking a toll on Rick's health, although his [[TheAlcoholic alcoholism]] isn't helping. The lack of acknowledgement involving secondhand smoke is telling too, as Rick is smoking on the set of ''Lancer'' while his eight-year-old costar Trudi is sitting next to him. Worse, lots of people smoke around a visibly pregnant Sharon Tate. During his ''Bounty Law'' days, Rick even films a television commercial for Red Apple cigarettes. This last may be particularly jarring for American viewers born after the film's setting year, as Congress banned cigarette advertising on US TV in 1970. You can also clearly see cigarette vending machines in bars and restaurants.
** The overall opinion of Creator/RomanPolanski is very glowing and worshipful, which reflects public opinion of the time period. With that said, Steve [=McQueen=] muses that one day he'll "screw it up" (albeit in the context of his relationship with Sharon Tate)
* DesignatedGirlFight: Highlighted in footage from ''Film/TheWreckingCrew''. The film also seems poised to emulate it between Francesca and [[spoiler:Patricia Krenwinkel]], only for the former to flee before getting more than one good hit in.
* DestinationDefenestration: [[spoiler:When Cliff manages to send Sadie out into the pool,]] she shatters the glass door, which alerts the until-then oblivious Rick to her presence.

* DoesNotLikeShoes: Yes, Tarantino's well-known [[AuthorAppeal foot fetish]] is prominent here. However, it's because many people in the '60s (especially hippie girls) went barefoot. And according to [[https://uproxx.com/movies/margot-robbie-feet-once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-quentin-tarantino/ this interview]] with Margot Robbie, Sharon Tate was also a RealLife example.

-->"I love cinema, You love cinema. It's the journey of discovering a story for the first time. I'm thrilled to be here in Cannes to share 'Once Upon A Time...in Hollywood' with the festival audience. The cast and crew have worked so hard to create something original, and I only ask that everyone avoids revealing anything that would prevent later audiences from experiencing the film in the same way. Thank you."
* DoubleEntendre: When Pussycat brings Cliff to the ranch and introduces him to her friends first:
-->'''Gypsy''': We love Pussy.
-->'''Cliff Booth''': Yes, we do.

** Rick (as Decoteau) cocks his gun on the little girl's temple during the negotiation scene for the pilot of ''Lancer''.
** Played with during climax. When Tex holds Cliff at gunpoint, Cliff (partly due to being high) just laughs it off. In an effort to be taken seriously, Tex cocks his gun. [[spoiler: Cliff immediately signals Brandy, who rips Tex to shreds.]]

* DrivesLikeCrazy: The film features quite a lot of driving sequences. Both Cliff and Roman are shown to be quite aggressive drivers, particularly around the winding driveway to their homes. Rick is never seen driving because of his repeated DUI arrests.

** After Rick has his Italian cinema experience, acquiring a new wife and returning home, he tells Cliff that he can't really afford to keep him around full time anymore. They decide to have one last hurrah as best friends, go out drinking at their favorite restaurant and hang out the rest of the night before parting ways. After the climax, though, it's left [[AmbiguousEnding undetermined how things will go on from there]] as [[spoiler:Cliff was injured and heads off to the hospital, while Rick is obviously concerned and promises to visit the next day]].

* EverybodySmokes: Because it's Hollywood during TheSixties. However, it's deconstructed when we see Rick hacking, wheezing and spitting on the set of ''Lancer''.
* ExtremelyShortTimespan: The bulk of the movie takes place over about two days, while the climax happens over an evening several months later.

* FailedAttemptAtDrama: Tex's attempt to intimidate Cliff. Cliff asks his name, and Tex says "I'm the devil, and I'm here to do the devil's business", only for Cliff to say "Nah, it was dumber than that". The entire time, Tex is ''scared out of his mind''.
* FateWorseThanDeath: Rick Dalton compares having to work on Italian western movies in Rome as this.

* {{Foil}}: Cliff and Rick. The two are best friends, co-workers, share many interests, both have long careers in show business, and even look alike. However, they differ significantly in their perspectives on life. Cliff is a (more or less) working class stiff who's satisfied at his lot in life and for having achieved what he has (recalling his days as a stuntman fondly despite never being a 'star'), while Rick is a famous and wealthy celebrity who nonetheless feels miserable because he believes he's past his prime and is doing work that should be beneath him (like playing TheHeavy on TV shows or being asked to star in a SpaghettiWestern). This is illustrated pretty well when we first see them go to their respective homes: Rick has a luxurious gated house out in the woods right next to Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski and spends his time getting drunk and brooding; Cliff goes home to a small trailer in the middle of nowhere, but is as chill and content as he always is, finding enjoyment in his small TV, [[PetTheDog his dog]], and a homemade bowl of [[ComfortFood Mac n' Cheese.]] Rick's CharacterDevelopment involves him coming around to Cliff's point of view a bit more; for example, [[HiddenDepths trying his heart out]] to turn in a quality performance as TheHeavy in ''Lancer'', and deciding to socialize with his neighbor instead of locking himself in his room again.
* ForeignLanguageTirade: After [[spoiler:the Manson Family attack in the climax]], Francesca is ranting in Italian to a confused police officer who has no idea what she's saying.
* ForWantOfANail: The ending plays on the idea of how history could have deviated if [[spoiler:a neighbor of Sharon Tate's caught the Manson Family before they could proceed with murdering her]].
* ForegoneConclusion: Given Sharon Tate and her friends' notorious murder in real life, and the presence of the [[UsefulNotes/CharlesManson Manson family]], it looks like the movie's ending is going to show similar events. [[spoiler:Until it's gloriously given ''[[SubvertedTrope one hell of an atomic wedgie]]'', when the [[AlternateHistory film diverges from history]] and Rick and Cliff end up killing the three Manson clan members who would have killed Tate and her friends.]] That being said, [[spoiler:''Film/IngloriousBasterds'']] had a similar twist, and anyone familiar with that movie was probably expecting the same thing to happen here.

** Rick shares the contents of a book with a young co-star, a story of a cowboy who injures his hip and is thus facing becoming "a little more useless each day." When visiting the Spahn Ranch, Cliff finds one of the hippies stabbed the front tire of Rick's car, and he forces him to change it out. In the climax, [[spoiler: Cliff is attacked by one of the Manson killers and ends up with a knife in his hip. He brushes it off as probably only getting a limp]].

** A lot of emphasis is given to the large cans of dog food Cliff uses to feed Brandy. Once in the beginning and again in the climax, where [[spoiler:a full can is used to completely crush the face of one of the Manson killers. The tagline says it's for mean dogs as well, which hints at Brandy's potential]].
** Rick seems to collect memorabilia from the movies he's in: posters, mugs... Come the climax, it turns out the one he kept from ''The Fourteen Fists of [=McCluskey=]'' was [[spoiler:the fully-functional ''flamethrower'']].
** In the intro to ''Bounty Law'', Jake Cahill say he never tries to catch criminals alive if they outnumber him three to one, only amateurs do that and that is why they don't survive long. In the film climax, [[spoiler:Cliff is confronted by the three Manson killers and survives mainly because he went straight for the kill, eliminating their numerical superiority before they had time to react.]]

* SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct: InvokedTrope; after botching several lines in a row while on the set of the Pilot for ''Lancer'', Dalton ends up having a breakdown in his trailer but manages to recompose himself. When he returns to set, he actually manages to deliver a chilling performance in a single take, right down to even [[{{Improv}} adlibbing several lines]], that seriously impresses both the director and his young co-star.

* HeterosexualLifePartners: Rick and Cliff behave equal parts like lifelong friends and an old married couple (as the narrator puts it, "more than a brother and a little less than a spouse"). Cliff works both as Rick's stuntman and does whatever Rick needs done without complaint, including driving him everywhere (Rick having lost his license due to alcoholism), being his handy-man (like fixing his cable antenna) and provides emotional support (when Rick has an emotional breakdown over the idea of his career dying out). It is implied that Cliff's loyalty comes from Rick keeping him employed as a stuntman in spite of his reputation for killing his wife, such as insisting on having Cliff be his stuntman when filming on ''The Green Hornet''.

** Though Rick's issues and destructive lifestyle are highlighted, he is shown to be an actor who takes his job seriously. When he uses a flamethrower for a role in a movie, he did take the time to learn how to operate it safely, and when he lands the role in ''Lancer'', he's seen rehearsing lines for it in his downtime. Part of why he's so upset with himself over flubbing them was that he really was trying even as his addictions were throwing him off. (Most notably, he's embarrassed because, despite him putting in the time and practicing, his flubbing would make it look to his co-stars like he ''hadn't'' practiced.)
** Cliff is apparently quite handy and is the one Rick calls when things break in his house.

** Francesca, Rick's wife, doesn't have a lot of scenes to herself but she's quite kind to Cliff's dog [[spoiler: and gets herself out of danger with a haymaker during the Manson Family fight]].
* HilariousOuttakes: During the credits we see Rick filming an ad for Red Apple cigarettes during his ''Bounty Law'' days during which he praises the company and the flavor of the cigarettes. As soon as the camera stops rolling he starts bitterly complaining about how horrible the cigarettes taste and how the cardboard cutout of him has a double chin.

** It would be simpler to list which characters ''aren't'' real people. While Rick and Cliff are fictional, Creator/SharonTate, Creator/BruceLee, UsefulNotes/CharlesManson, the Manson family and several actors all worked or lived in Los Angeles in 1969. Marvin Schwarz is fictional, but a real-life Marvin ''Schwartz'' was a Hollywood producer in 1969 (presumably the reason movie Marvin insists on the pronunciation).

* HistoricalVillainDowngrade: [[spoiler: Sadie in real-life admitted to being sexually aroused by murder and the taste of blood.]]

* HorrorHippies: The various hippies in the movie are portrayed as shifty, troublesome and not to be trusted. [[spoiler:This is completely justified since they're the Manson Family]].
* HypercompetentSidekick: The overarching theme of the movie is how larger-than-life pop culture personalities usually have a "second" of sorts who facilitates their great deeds if they aren't doing most of the work themselves. The Green Hornet and Charles Manson are the major touchpoints (Kato being Britt Reid's muscle and Manson's acolytes performing the actual murders rather than Charles himself) with the likes of Cliff (who does Rick's stunts and housework), Jay Sebring (who minds the pregnant Sharon Tate while her actual husband, Roman Polanski, is off directing), and the fictional Johnny Madrid (the black sheep of the Lancer family who is the only one physically able to protect them from outlaws) exemplifying this dynamic. Once Rick "graduates" from being so heavily reliant on Cliff after [[spoiler:killing Sadie]] and being (unwillingly) separated from him, a sound clip from the Batman live-action television series is played over the credits, implying that he has become a protagonist who doesn't necessarily need a sidekick to function.
* IdiotBall: Bruce Lee, world-class martial artist, obliges Cliff's challenge to throw the exact same jump kick as he did in their previous round of sparring. You'd expect someone with any kind of martial arts knowledge to not do exactly what his opponent is expecting and prepared for (even if his opinion of Cliff was as low as it apparently was), but Lee does, allowing him to fulfill his [[TheWorfEffect Worf]] responsibilities for Cliff.
* IndulgentFantasySegue: Rick imagines himself in the lead role of ''Film/TheGreatEscape'' when asked about how he nearly got cast.
* InnocentlyInsensitive: When Sharon Tate gets her picture taken at a movie theater showing her film, the usher asks her to stand next the poster of the film so people will know who she is. The usher doesn't seem to register how that might hurt the feelings of a rather famous actress, but Sharon herself takes it in stride.
* InsaneTrollLogic: [[spoiler:Sadie]]'s justification for changing the [[spoiler:Family's plan and killing Rick]] is that since he starred in an industry glorifying violence, he deserves to be violently murdered as a message to Hollywood. Even better, she says she came to this conclusion after multiple LSD trips - and this is coming from a supposed "free love" cult about living in harmony. [[TruthInTelevision This is based on actual quotes from the Manson family.]]
--> [[spoiler:'''Sadie''']]: If you grew up watching television, you grew up watching murder... [[{{Hypocrite}} We should be killing the people that taught us to kill!]]

* InternalHomage: The flamethrower scene from Rick's UsefulNotes/WorldWarII film ''The Fourteen Fists of [=McCluskey=]'' resembles a remix of the ending of ''Film/InglouriousBasterds'': An American commando on a balcony shooting down at a crowd of burning Nazis. It's also meta-foreshadowing to a degree: like ''Inglourious Basterds'', this movie ends with [[spoiler:Tarantino [[AlternateHistory rewriting history]] to [[KarmicDeath gruesomely kill off the bad guys.]]]]

* ItWillNeverCatchOn: Rick is dismissive of Martin's offer to star in {{Spaghetti Western}}s, because he thinks it'll do his fading career more harm than good. This is TruthInTelevision for the era, when most of Hollywood dismissed the genre as cheap foreign knockoffs of "true" American westerns.

* TheJoyOfX: Follows the same title format as Creator/SergioLeone's ''Film/OnceUponATimeInTheWest'', one of the Spaghetti Westerns that Rick disparages.
* JumpCut: There are a few jump cuts during the scene where Rick talks with Jim Stacy on the set of the Western pilot--possibly to symbolize Rick's discontent with an uncomfortable conversation. Then there are more jump cuts shortly after, when Rick is screaming at himself in his trailer after blowing several lines during the shoot.
* JustAStupidAccent: The Germans in ''The Fourteen Fists of [=McCluskey=]'' speak English with a thick German accent.
* JustPlaneWrong: The Boeing 747, which was featured prominently in several scenes, was not inaugurated into service until January of 1970, several months after when the movie ends.

* KnowWhenToFoldEm: Francesca, after her HeyYouHaymaker, doesn't attack her foes further.

** [[spoiler:Sadie]] proposes [[spoiler:attacking the Dalton residence]] and is historically suspected to have [[spoiler:murdered Sharon Tate personally]]. In the ensuing fight, [[spoiler:she]] has the slowest and most painful death.

* LemonyNarrator: Creator/KurtRussell's character Randy becomes one at a few points in the film, either to interject ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment''-style corrections of characters' dialogue (though this is only done once or twice) or to fill in the TimeSkip.
* LetsGetDangerous: Cliff's combat skill is hinted at throughout the film, but mostly in comedic scenes; we don't truly see the full extent of his abilities until the end when [[spoiler:the Manson Family members invade Rick's house. Even with him drunk and high on LSD, and with the Manson Family members armed with knives and a gun, it's not an even remotely fair fight. His dog Brandy also shows her ability in a fight. And Rick himself makes good use of the [[ChekhovsGun flamethrower]], despite also being drunk.]]
* LighterAndSofter: The movie is largely devoid of Tarantino's trademark violence and bad behavior and is generally more of an amiable, retro "[[SliceOfLife hangout movie]]". The main characters are certainly flawed but nothing compared to the violent criminals who tend to populate Tarantino's movies. The movie also has a surprisingly gentle side, such as Trudi's praise of Rick's acting moving him to tears, and the movie upholding Sharon Tate as a beacon of sunny 60s Hollywood dreams. While the climax is [[spoiler:brutally violent, only villainous characters die]].

* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: [[spoiler:Cliff]] is stabbed in the side, potentially in a kidney, but seems more bemused by the situation. He doesn't collapse from the injury until after he's made his attacker pay for it. Justified as he was drunk and high at the time, and likely was running on adrenaline.
* MeanCharacterNiceActor: Rick is playing a lot of bad guy roles in 1969 (to the point that he fears being typecast), but he's a decent guy outside of that. This is especially evident during his time on ''Lancer'': He has to shove a child actor to the floor during a scene, but once the cameras stop rolling, the first thing he does is make sure she isn't hurt. He does hate hippies, though.
* MethodActing: InUniverse with Trudi Fraser, Rick's precocious co-star. She prefers to be addressed by her character's name when she's on set and won't eat lunch before shooting a scene because being full might make her sluggish -- concerns that Rick, with his more old-school style, wouldn't think of.
* MonochromeToColor: The teaser trailer and movie start with interview footage of Rick and Cliff on the set of their TV show ''Bounty Law''. The footage is in black and white, while what follows is in color. [[spoiler: The movie reverts to black and white for the credits sequence, a clip on Rick shooting a commercial for Red Apple cigarettes.]]

* MonsterFangirl: Charles Manson's fanatical followers, many of whom are female and believe they are in love with him, and all of whom are willing to kill for him. Manson sends four of them--"Tex", "Sadie", "Katie", and "Flowerchild"--to murder everyone in Tate's house, but the plan goes OffTheRails when Dalton hears their noisy muffler and orders them off his street.

** It's a Tarantino character-study comedy, but [[CerebusKnight the jokes dry up very quickly]] anytime a member of the Manson Family comes on screen. Even humorous moments [[spoiler:(like Tex, Sadie, Katie, and Linda arguing in the car)]] pass by in a flash when something nasty inevitably comes to the foreground.
** Also related to the Manson Family, the movie overall is pretty low-stakes, with little violence occurring off the set of the movies. Though the audience is probably nervous towards the end when we reach the night that Sharon Tate was murdered, [[spoiler:it is still shocking when Cliff, Brandy and Rick ''brutally'' kill Tate's would-be murderers]].
* MoralMyopia: The hippie commune boo and mock Cliff as he leaves because he had suspected them of doing something nefarious to the person whose land they're squatting on and wanted to confirm his suspicions without taking their word for it, [[PopTheTires complete with slashing one of his tires out of spite]]. When Cliff reacts by punching the guy who did it after he refuses to fix the tire (followed by ''making'' him fix it), the hippies act as though he is attacking him unprovoked. [[spoiler:Their attitude is that of a guilty party for a reason, they are the Manson family.]]

* MuggingTheMonster: Rick confronts a bunch of hippies for coming up to a private residence to smoke weed in their extremely loud and annoying car, unaware that this bunch of hippies is [[spoiler:the ''Manson Family'', who are out to kill Sharon Tate. He accidentally pulls aggro in the process.]]
* MyGreatestFailure: Prior to the start of the film, Rick Dalton abandoned his lucrative television career in hopes of becoming an Action Star in movies. After his movie career quickly flamed out, Rick found the television acting scene had also left him behind. At best, he can only get cast as villains in other people's shows.

** In the mid-credits scene, Rick is doing an ad for Red Apple Cigarettes, a product featured in other Tarantino and Tarantino-adjacent films, including ''Pulp Fiction'', ''From Dusk Till Dawn'', ''Kill Bill Volume 1'', ''Planet Terror'' and ''The Hateful Eight.''
** Tarantino's trademark "taking a break from the action to give off some exposition with narration" scene that started in ''Film/InglouriousBasterds'' continues here, in the form of [[spoiler:describing what happens up to the Manson Family assault.]]
** Tex's line, "Okay, pig killers, let's kill some piggies" is reminiscent of something Seth Gecko would say in ''From Dusk Till Dawn''.

** Rick Dalton is basically an {{Expy}} of real-life [[Creator/SteveMcQueenActor Steve McQueen]], who is a character in this movie. Dalton and [=McQueen=] were both stars of TV Western series about bounty hunters, Rick in the fictional ''Bounty Law'' and [=McQueen=] in the RealLife ''Wanted Dead or Alive''. Both Rick and [=McQueen=] were up for the same part in ''The Great Escape''. [=McQueen=] got it and became a huge star while Rick is the WhatCouldHaveBeen version of [=McQueen=] who's down to TV guest spots while trying to revive his career in spaghetti westerns.
** Booth, for his part, resembles Wrestling/GeneLeBell, a stuntman and martial artist that had a scuffle getting the upper hand over Creator/BruceLee and was also involved in an unclear murder. He even beats Lee specifically with a judo throw, just like the real deal did. However, the death of Cliff Booth's wife Billie and the ambiguity surrounding it are also a reference to Creator/NatalieWood, as is Billie's sister being named Natalie.

* NoPronunciationGuide: Rick's character on ''Lancer'' is named Decoteau, which he thinks is pronounced Dakota but everyone else pronounces as Daycahtoo (the French pronunciation would be closer to Decohtow).
* NotHisSled: [[spoiler:The film seems to build up to the infamous Tate murders, only for AlternateHistory to take effect. The would-be murderers instead start at Rick's house and meet their demise at the hands of him, Cliff, and Brandy. Thus, Sharon and her friends all live and invite Rick into the house for a drink after the ordeal is over]].

* {{Novelisation}}: Tarantino published a novelistation in 2021, which he described as "a complete rethinking of the entire story". The book adds details to various sequences and characters, including multiple chapters dedicated to Cliff's backstory. The finale occurs midway through the story and adds an epilogue where Rick finds fame as a regular on ''Series/TheTonightShowWithJohnnyCarson''. It also focuses on Charles Manson's pursuit of a music career and the "inner worlds" of Sharon Tate and Trudi Frazer.
** There is a chapter dedicated to the Manson Family's "creepy crawls". In it, Manson instructs "Pussycat" to break into a wealthy, elderly couple's house while they are sleeping. Manson encouraged going into wealthy unvacated homes, which the Manson girls would enter and steal valuables. He taught them to wear dark clothing and "crawl" through the house. The term "creepy crawl" was invented by the Manson girls.
** The book explains the inner thoughts of the controversial Bruce Lee-Cliff Booth fight, saying that Booth tricks Lee into the fight and Booth is fighting his own instinct to murder Lee more than Lee himself. Booth is a "ringer," a stuntman brought in and paid on the side to hurt actors who "tag" (hit for real) stuntmen. Lee does this and Booth believes Lee's kung fu is all for show and screen, and that judo is a superior martial art. "Pussycat" refers to Booth as [[Film/ReservoirDogs "Mr. Blond"]].

** A deleted scene is re-inserted. A phone call between Rick and Trudi on the evening after their day shooting ''Lancer together''. They do a line reading and reminisce about the day and Trudi reminds Dalton how lucky they are to do what they do, making him genuinely realize "for the first time in ten years...how fortunate he is and was".
** Rick beats out Creator/JoeDonBaker for his role in ''Lancer''. Baker portrayed the lead villain and leader of the land Pirates in the real-life pilot of ''Lancer''.
** Several people, real and fictional appear. A whole chapter is dedicated to actor Aldo Rey, whose procurement of a bottle of gin from Booth leads to him being fired from one of the Spaghetti Westerns Dalton is starring in. Tarantino's step-father Curtis Zastoupil appears as a character in the novel and gets Rick Dalton's autograph for a six-year-old Tarantino. Other people who appear include Music/DennisWilson, Terry Melcher (the son of Creator/DorisDay and record producer for Creator/ColumbiaRecords), Creator/CandiceBergen, Gregg Jakobson (a songwriter who became close to the Manson family), Andrew Duggan (the actor who portrays Murdoch Lancer, whose character seeks out his two estranged sons from different mothers, to help save his ranch from the land pirates) and Jim Brown, who would have been played by Creator/JamieFoxx in a scene Cliff has a fistfight with him on the set of ''Film/AHundredRifles''.
* ObfuscatingStupidity: Linda "forgets" her knife and starts walking back despite the car being locked, forcing Tex to give her the keys and not suspect she might be planning to drive off, as she ends up doing.
* OddFriendship: Rick develops a bit of one with his eight-year-old co-star Trudi Fraser, to the point where he's genuinely concerned about her well-being the moment the cameras stop rolling in a scene where he had to throw her onto the ground. She's one of the few characters he genuinely bonds with over the course of the film.

* OnceUponATime: The StockPhrase is used in the film's title. [[spoiler:Its close connection to fairy tales turns out to be thematically relevant]]. It also doubles as a reference to the films ''Film/OnceUponATimeInTheWest'' and ''Film/OnceUponATimeInAmerica'' by Creator/SergioLeone, whose films are alluded to in this one.
* TheOner: It's possible to miss because of how low-key it is, but the first part of Cliff's confrontation with Bruce Lee, up until Bruce's second kick, is presented as a single 4-minute take.
* OneSteveLimit: Literally [[AvertedTrope averted]], due to Steve [=McQueen=] and Steve "Clem" Grogan both appearing in the film.

-->'''[=McCluskey=]:''' ''[[LargeHam ANYONE ORDER FRIED SOUR-KRAUT?]] ([[KillItWithFire lights the Nazis on fire with a flamethrower]])''
* ProductPlacement: InUniverse. Rick smoked Red Apple tobacco in ''Bounty Law'' episodes as part of an advertising deal. (He doesn't think very highly of their cigarettes, as TheStinger shows.)

* RasputinianDeath: [[spoiler:Susan "Sadie" Atkins]] gets the biggest one in the movie (and maybe ''all'' of Tarantino's movies): [[spoiler: In the span of just a few minutes, she gets her nose crushed inward by a full can of dog food, then gets mauled by Brandy, ''then'' gets glass and debris embedded in her face after running straight through Rick's patio door, and finally gets burned to death by Rick and his flamethrower. Since Sadie is generally thought to have been the Manson cultist who murdered Sharon Tate in RealLife (or alternately, held Sharon down while Tex Watson stabbed her), giving her this manner of death was likely intentional]].
* RealisticDictionIsUnrealistic: It's never commented on, but Rick has a mild stutter and thicker Midwest accent in his personal life. He hides it whenever he is on set, but is quite notable going from an interview on the set of ''Bounty Law'' to meeting with Marvin in a restaurant and is later praised for improvising a line with [[AddedAlliterativeAppeal three alliterative words]].

** [[spoiler:The LSD-laced cigarette is introduced as something Cliff decides to save for later. Ultimately, he decides to partake in it while taking his dog for a walk during his bender with Rick. It ultimately does nothing for the plot other than provide for some humorous behavior of Cliff. He's not too inebriated or late to defend Rick's house from Manson's disciples.]]
** The film implies that Sharon Tate is going to have a larger role in the last act, via showing a flashback of her training for ''Film/TheWreckingCrew'' with Creator/BruceLee (actually TruthInTelevision). The script then flips this on its head when the ending shows [[spoiler:the Manson murderers initially thwarted by Rick when they drive up Cielo Drive, and once they retreat, they elect to attack his home instead under the belief that they need to attack the actor who "inspired us to kill." As a result, Tate (and, by extension, the rest of the people in the Polanski home) are spared and aren't seen again until the murderers have been taken care of by Cliff and Rick]].
** Near the end there's a lingering shot of Rick's radio falling into the swimming pool, but nobody gets electrocuted, since it's battery-powered.

** In a spanning example, Red Apple cigarettes make yet another appearance in a Tarantino movie.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Flowerchild (Linda Kasabian) ditches her three cohorts before they attempt to carry out their plan. She was probably going to run off anyway, but then Tex throws her the keys so she takes their car too.

* ShesGotLegs: Pussycat wears short shorts with a halter top, with her body language and camera framing emphasizing her legs ([[AuthorAppeal and feet too]], because it's still a Tarantino film).

** At the beginning of the film, Rick is interviewed about ''Bounty Law'', a western TV show on which he and Cliff worked. Segments from a few actual episodes are shown at various points.
** The DoubleFeature Marvin Schwarz watched includes a film in which Rick played a hammy HollywoodActionHero who kills Nazis by the truckloads during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII.

** When Cliff recognizes the Manson Family members from his visit to the Spahn Ranch, he can't remember Tex Watson's name. Tex responds saying, "I'm the devil, and I came to do the devil's business." The real-life Tex Watson said this exact phrase to the victims at Sharon Tate's house before they were murdered.
* SociopathicHero: {{Meta}} example: In Rick's film ''The Fourteen Fists of [=McCluskey=]'', the protagonist enjoys killing Nazis with a flamethrower a little ''too'' much.

* StuntCasting: InvokedTrope; Marvin drops BrutalHonesty on Rick during his meeting with him that Rick is now at the point of his career where networks are only willing to stunt-cast him as single-episode villains to prop up their rising stars.

** Cliff is unimpressed with Bruce Lee's boasting on the set of ''Series/TheGreenHornet'', so they end up in a sparring match, where Cliff holds his own and knocks down the martial arts legend. Then he's immediately fired for fighting on set, severely denting the door of the car belonging to the stunt coordinator's wife and endangering one of the primary actors.
* TakeThat: Cliff's refusal of road head on the suspicion the one offering it was an underage girl could be seen as a subtle jab at Roman Polanski (who's been in exile hiding from a statutory rape charge in the US for over 40 years). Not to mention his being referred to as looking like a twelve-year-old boy.

* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: Happens twice in quick succession during the climax of the film:

** [[spoiler:Sadie is beaned in the face with a dog food can thrown by Cliff, causing her nose to be shoved inward. He follows it up by causing Brandy to maul her, which eventually leads to her standing up in a panic wildly and running through a plate-glass window, causing her face to be lacerated with shards of glass before she falls into the pool. Upon seeing this (and her firing her gun into the air wildly), Rick gets out of the pool, goes to his garage, pulls out the flamethrower he still had from ''The Fourteen Fists of [=McCluskey=]'', and uses it to incinerate her]].

* ThisIsGoingToBeHuge: Rick is enthusiastic about having Roman Polanski as a neighbor, predicting that he could be one social call away from making an impression on the director and landing a juicy role. Everyone at all familiar with the Manson Family will know that the Polanski home will soon be hit by tragedy that will destroy that opportunity. [[spoiler:But it's subverted in the end, when Tate and company survive the night, and Rick gets invited over to the house, suggesting that he ''might'' just land a gig on a Polanski movie in the future]].

* TimeSkip: The last third of the film takes place on August 8, 1969 — six months after the events of the first half. In between, Rick and Cliff have relocated to Italy to make a few {{Spaghetti Western}}s (and one action movie); Rick has made some decent money and fallen in love with a costar, and the three of them — Cliff, Rick, and Rick's new wife Francesca — are returning to L.A. when we pick the story up again.
* {{Touche}}: Cliff is clearly disappointed at being turned down for a job because of something related to his previous gig on ''Series/TheGreenHornet''. In a {{Flashback}}, we see that Rick had begged the stunt coordinator (who already hated Cliff) to give him a chance. The first day on set, Cliff picked a fight with Creator/BruceLee, and threw him into a car that belonged to the stunt coordinator's wife. Reflecting on this, Cliff simply mutters "fair enough".
* TranquilFury: Cliff's reaction to [[spoiler: being stabbed by Katie]]. After he notices what happens, he proceeds to smash her face in a methodical fashion over ''every single surface he can find.''
* TrashyTrailerHome: Used to contrast Cliff and Rick's living situations. Famous actor Rick lives in a big Hollywood mansion. His driver Cliff lives in a rusty trailer located behind a Drive-In theater.

* UnderestimatingBadassery: Happens repeatedly to Cliff.

** The Manson family have no idea who Cliff is, but clearly see him as a simple victim to toy with. Big mistake.

** [[spoiler:Charles Manson]] appears for exactly one scene and is never seen again despite [[spoiler:sending cultists to murder people]]. It's possible he may become a KarmaHoudini as well.

* ViewersAreGeniuses: If you go into the movie blind and know functionally nothing about the [[UsefulNotes/CharlesManson Manson Murders]], the significance of the climax will make no sense because no context is given to it, coming across as an OutsideContextProblem. This includes the unusual focus on Sharon Tate and Cliff's little excursion at Spahn Ranch. [[spoiler:Especially since the movie is an AlternateHistory where Sharon Tate survives because Cliff and Rick end up distracting and curb stomping the would-be killers]].

* WhatIf: [[spoiler: The plot of the film. Tarantino's version of real life events. What if the murder victims had lived and the Mansonites were killed instead?]]

* WouldHurtAChild: InUniverse. Rick plays a villain in the PilotEpisode of ''Lancer'' who has no compunction about holding a little girl hostage at gunpoint and shoving her to the floor. Subverted with Rick himself, who checks to see if his young costar is okay as soon as the director yells cut.

* FanDisservice: Pussycat resting her head in Cliff's lap is a cute shot, until she raises her arm to reveal a hairy pit.

* BaitTheDog: Used InUniverse for Caleb, the villain Rick Dalton plays in ''Lancer''. Caleb's character is introduced as [[FauxAffablyEvil carefree and cordial]]; he's much friendlier to the hero than the other vagabonds of the town and even sitting down to drink with him. He remains polite until he asks for the bartender's daughter to come down and play a song for them; the man's refusal showing a nastier side to Caleb as he begins shouting and it's stated he hit her at a previous point. Unfortunately, at this point in recording, Rick begins to forget his lines and Caleb's threatening reveal deflates.

* BoringYetPractical:
** Cliff's fighting style isn't flashy, but it's very efficient and more than good enough to keep pace with Bruce Lee. Considering a throwaway line from Rick identifying him as a war hero, he likely learned to fight in the military.
** [[spoiler:In the climax, Cliff never throws a true punch despite his strength and size advantage, instead going the CombatPragmatist route of improvising ways to inflict lethal head trauma. A full can of dog food, a stomp to the face on a door threshold and smashing a much smaller person's head into several rigid objects, respectively.]]

* ObfuscatingStupidity: Linda "forgets" her knife that she left in the car and starts walking back despite the car being locked, forcing Tex to give her the keys and not suspect she might be planning to drive off as she ends up doing.

* ProductPlacement: Rick smoked Red Apple tobacco in ''Bounty Law'' episodes as part of an advertising deal. (He doesn't think very highly of their cigarettes, as TheStinger shows.)

** When Cliff realizes that George Spahn's ranch has been taken over by a hippie commune, he asks where George is, and everyone immediately becomes evasive and tense. They insist that Cliff can't see George because he's "napping." Their behavior (and the fact that ''we'' know this is the Manson Family) makes the whole scene incredibly suspicious. Cliff insists on entering the house, makes his way down a darkened hallway, and enters George's room to find [[spoiler:that everything is fine. George actually ''is'' napping. He's relatively healthy, and has no complaints about anything that's happening. Though Cliff still seems uncomfortable, seeing that George doesn't seem to be being abused, he leaves.]]
** Both the trailers and the character's first few scenes hint that Pussycat is going to play a large role in the movie, possibly as Cliff's LoveInterest. [[spoiler:Cliff politely refuses Pussycat's sexual advances because she can't prove she isn't underage, and Pussycat eventually turns against Cliff after his demands to see George Spahn embarrass her in front of the rest of the Manson Family. She is never seen again after the confrontation at Spahn Ranch.]]
** [[spoiler:The LSD-laced cigarette is introduced as something Cliff decides to save for later. Ultimately, he decides to partake in it while taking his dog for a walk during his bender with Rick. It ultimately does nothing for the plot other than provide for some humorous behavior of Cliff — he's not too inebriated or late to defend Rick's house from Manson's disciples.]]

** Near the end there's a lingering shot of Rick's radio falling into the swimming pool, however nobody gets electrocuted, since it's battery-powered. [[spoiler:Somebody gets torched to death, though.]]

* ShooOutTheClowns: The comedic elements vanish whenever the Manson Family becomes the focus of the film, in favor of a fitting undercurrent of horror. [[spoiler:Until the end, that is, when the intensity of the violence arguably CrossesTheLineTwice — see the film's YMMV page for more on this.]]

* SociopathicHero: {{Meta}} example: In Rick's film ''The Fourteen Fists of [=McCluskey=]'', the titular protagonist enjoys killing Nazis with a flamethrower a little ''too'' much.

* StuntCasting: InvokedTrope; Marvin drops BrutalHonesty on Rick during his meeting with him that Rick is now at the point of his career where networks are only willing to stunt-cast him in their pilots to their new shows in order to prop up their rising stars.

* ThrowItIn: InUniverse example. A climactic scene of tension in the ''Lancer'' pilot features several inspired ad-libs by Rick, and the moment where he throws the little girl on the ground was apparently his idea too -- they scrounged up some knee and elbow pads for Trudi in a hurry.

* TriangRelations: Sharon and Roman are HappilyMarried and in love, but they're still best friends with Sharon's ex-boyfriend Jay Sebring, who in turn is still carrying a torch for Sharon. Steve [=McQueen=] voices his suspicion that Jay's staying around Sharon in order to pick up the pieces should Roman break her heart.

* MeanCharacterNiceActor: InUniverse. Rick is playing a lot of bad guy roles in 1969 (to the point that he fears being typecast), but he's a decent guy outside of that. This is especially evident during his time on ''Lancer'': He has to shove a child actor to the floor during a scene, but once the cameras stop rolling, the first thing he does is make sure she isn't hurt. He does hate hippies, though.

* EndOfAnAge: After Rick has his Italian cinema experience, acquiring a new wife and returning home, he tells Cliff that he can't really afford to keep him around full time anymore. They decide to have one last hurrah as best friends, go out drinking at their favorite restaurant and hang out the rest of the night before parting ways. After the climax, though, it's left [[AmbiguousEnding undetermined how things will go on from there]] as [[spoiler:Cliff was injured and heads off to the hospital, while Rick is obviously concerned and promises to visit the next day]].

** Cliff asks George Spahn, now blind, if his girlfriend, Squeaky Fromme, is the redhead. Spahn angrily replies he's '''blind''' and has no idea what her hair colour is.

** It would be simpler to list which characters ''aren't'' real people. While Rick and Cliff are fictional, Creator/SharonTate, Creator/BruceLee, UsefulNotes/CharlesManson, the Manson family and several actors all worked or lived in Los Angeles in 1969. Marvin Schwarz is fictional, but a real-life Marvin Schwar'''t'''z was a Hollywood producer in 1969 (presumably the reason movie Marvin insists on the pronunciation).

** The events of the murders at Cielo Drive are also changed around just a little bit.

** Alternatively, maybe the cigarette wasn't laced with LSD at all, and the hippie selling it was just duping the guy to pay 50 cents (more than the average price of a whole pack of cigarettes in 1969[[https://247wallst.com/special-report/2017/06/14/price-of-a-pack-of-cigarettes-the-year-you-were-born/3/]]) for an old, brownish, but normal cigarette; his reaction being the result of drunkenness and PlaceboEffect.

The cast also includes Creator/DakotaFanning as Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, Creator/DamianLewis as [[Creator/SteveMcQueenActor Steve McQueen]], Creator/DamonHerriman as UsefulNotes/CharlesManson, Creator/BruceDern as George Spahn, [[note]]the role was initially to be played by Creator/BurtReynolds, who passed away before shooting began[[/note]] Creator/TimothyOlyphant as James Stacy, Creator/EmileHirsch as Jay Sebring, Creator/LukePerry as Wayne Maunder (his final role), Creator/MikeMoh as Creator/BruceLee, Creator/AlPacino as Marvin Schwarz, and Nicholas Hammond as Sam Wanamaker.

* KnowWhenToFoldEm: Francesca, after her HeyYouHaymaker.

** It's a Tarantino character-study comedy, but [[ShooOutTheClowns the jokes dry up very quickly]] anytime a member of the Manson Family comes on screen. Even humorous moments [[spoiler:(like Tex, Sadie, Katie, and Linda arguing in the car)]] pass by in a flash when something nasty inevitably comes to the foreground.

* MoralMyopia: The hippie commune boo and mock Cliff as he leaves because he had suspected them of doing something nefarious to the person whose land they're squatting on and wanted to confirm his suspicions without taking their word for it, [[PopTheTires complete with slashing one of his tires out of spite]]. When Cliff reacts by punching the guy who did it after he refuses to fix the tire (followed by ''making'' him fix it), the hippies act as though he is attacking him unprovoked.