Director Quentin Tarantino returns with his ninth feature film, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” Features an A-list cast featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Al Pacino, Dakota Fanning, Kurt Russell, Margaret Valley, Austin Butler and Mike Moh. The story follows actor Rick Dalton (DiCaprio) and his stunt double/personal chauffeur Clint Booth (Pitt) as they try to find their way back into the Hollywood spotlight. This is rather difficult as they are currently in the twilight of their careers. Meanwhile, it also focuses on Sharon Tate, (Robbie) whose story is Tarantino’s take on the Manson Family crimes.

Tarantino is one of my favorite directors of all time. I know I sound like the cliché college student whose getting into film or a Logic fan, but his films and their style is incredibly entertaining, and “Inglorious Basterds” is one of my top three favorite films of all time. To say that I was excited for this movie is an understatement, and Tarantino has delivered again.

The direction, shot composition, lighting and set design are each immaculate. He is clearly still in his prime as a director, and this is one of his top five films, which I honestly was not expecting based on the fact his other eight films pose some incredible competition.

Expanding on the set design, real streets are covered with 1960’s cars, ads, and billboards. Everything fits the time. There are no green screens, just real, beautiful locations. It really immerses the viewer deeper into the story being told. It is everything that you expect from Quentin Tarantino, just above and beyond the modern norm in Hollywood.

The thing that worried me the most about this movie was how Tarantino would incorporate Sharon Tate and the Manson Family into the story and how respectful it would be towards her memory. The real Sharon Tate, who was eight months pregnant, along with four of her friends staying with her were murdered by three members of the Manson Family, ordered by Charles Manson on Aug 9, 1969. Unlike another film this year, “The Haunting of Sharon Tate” one of the worst and most distasteful movies I have ever seen in the 20 years of my life, Tarantino is very respectful towards her memory and her family.

He does a great job showing how talented she was, how kind and thoughtful of a person she was, and Margot Robbie knocks it right out of the park, once again. She has proved time and time again since her debut in “The Wolf of Wall Street” why she’s one of the best actresses working today. From her mannerisms to her voice, everything is so on point it is unbelievable.

DiCaprio and Pitt also give Oscar worthy performances, proving why they are cream of the crop actors. Pitt gives my favorite performance of his entire career, and there are a bunch of scenes that are just Pitt and DiCaprio sitting on the couch talking and waiting to see themselves on TV These actors are so good that they can hold the scene and make it interesting.

While I love mostly every aspect of this film, I disliked the lack of tension throughout the second half. This is something I did not expect to see from Tarantino because “Inglorious Basterds” is loaded with some of the most well executed, tension filled scenes I have ever seen in my life. He has done several other films that do this too, such as “Kill Bill Volume 2,” “Django Unchained” and “The Hateful Eight.” So while it might be intentional, the second half is really slow. It features slower scenes, but they eventually lead to an interesting ending.

I do not want to spoil anymore because everyone should go to their nearest theater and pay money to see “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” It is well worth the cost of admission, and if you put your money towards movies like this, we will get more movies like this and the world would be better for it. I am going to give “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” an A.