Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel, The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth, is coming to Netflix, because of course it is. The film, which takes place eight years after the events of the original, follows Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) as he navigates the late 1970s, taking on odd jobs and getting mixed up in a new misadventure. The trailer is out, and it looks like a spiritual sequel to Jackie Brown, which is just what we needed – another vague attempt to recapture the magic of a decades-old film.
The film’s plot is as predictable as it is tired. Cliff, no longer a stuntman, works as a bartender, projectionist, and takes on odd jobs, because who needs a coherent character arc, anyway? He gets a call from talent agent Karen Crosby (Elizabeth Debicki) on behalf of her client, TV megastar Charlie Peters (Scott Caan), because what’s a Tarantino film without a bunch of self-indulgent references to old Hollywood? The trailer also “reveals” that Leonardo DiCaprio’s character isn’t around because, as Cliff puts it, “Oh, Rick got too fat for me to double him anymore.” Wow, what a hilarious and not-at-all-awkward way to explain away the absence of a major character.
The Never-Ending Quest for Nostalgia
The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth is just another example of Hollywood’s annual Nostalgia Harvest, where studios dig up old franchises and characters in an attempt to cash in on our collective fondness for the past. The film’s official synopsis reads like a laundry list of familiar Tarantino tropes: crime, violence, ambition, and desire, all set against the backdrop of 1970s Los Angeles. It’s like they took every cliché from the original film, threw them in a blender, and hit puree. The result is a mess of a movie that promises to deliver more of the same old same old, rather than anything genuinely new or interesting.
The cast, which includes Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Carla Gugino, and Matt Groove, is just as predictable as the plot. It’s a veritable who’s who of actors who have been in other, better films. The fact that they’re all gathered here, in this mess of a movie, is a testament to the power of the almighty dollar and the enduring appeal of Tarantino’s name. After all, who needs a good script when you have a bunch of familiar faces and a director with a reputation for being “edgy” and “cool”?
The Content Mines Remain Fully Operational
The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth will debut in theaters (and IMAX, because why not?) on November 25, before making its way to Netflix on December 23. Because what’s a modern movie release without a complicated distribution deal and a bunch of executive meddling? The film’s arrival on Netflix is just another example of the streaming giant’s insatiable hunger for content, no matter how mediocre or unnecessary. It’s a never-ending cycle of production and consumption, where the only constant is the pursuit of more – more content, more subscribers, more money. And we’re all just along for the ride, whether we like it or not.
As the merchandising opportunities for The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth begin to roll out, we can’t help but wonder: what’s next? Will we see a line of Cliff Booth action figures, complete with interchangeable outfits and a variety of novelty mustaches? Will there be a tie-in video game, where players can relive the thrill of driving around 1970s Los Angeles, looking cool and saying witty one-liners? The possibilities are endless, and the possibilities are exhausting. Somewhere, a focus group is earning another bonus, and the Franchise Resurrection Department is already looking for the next big thing to revive. Because in Hollywood, the only thing that matters is what’s next, not what’s good.
Finn McFrame, celebrated satirical mastermind and self-proclaimed “Emperor of Irony,” started his illustrious career as a cinematographer, where his expertise in capturing every single frame of a squirrel stealing a baguette earned him accolades at obscure film festivals.
Born in the glamorous town of Boring, Oregon, Finn grew up with dreams of being a Hollywood director until he realized that satire, not cinema, was his true calling—or at least the one that let him sleep until noon.
Finn McFrame: changing the world, one satirical lens flare at a time.
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