Quentin Tarantino’s 8th film One Upon a Time… in Hollywood is as much of a love letter to Hollywood as it is an endearing depiction of a Hollywood star passing his prime. It’s a movie about an industry that can see the star power of a talent decline just as fast it can rise, and the toll it can take.
The following list features a variety of movies about making movies or ones that are simply set against the backdrop of Tinseltown. Some paint a pretty picture of Hollywood while others focus on its darker side. They would all, however, make excellent companion pieces to One Upon a Time… in Hollywood should fans want to keep the theme going.
The Artist (2011)
Set in Hollywood’s silent-movie era, the multiple-Oscar-winning film The Artist follows the story of a popular film star who forges a relationship with a young dancer. It charts ’the artist’s’ fall from grace following the introduction of sound into moving pictures, a theme that’s ever too present in real-life Hollywood.
It was virtually unheard of to see a silent film released in the modern era and then go on to win 5 Oscars prior to The Artist, which goes to show that a charming story with charismatic characters and a whole lot of heart is all a film needs to win over its audience, despite the format it’s shot in.
La La Land (2016)
A tribute to classic Hollywood romanticism, Damien Chazelle’s La La Land sees an aspiring actress fall in love with a jazz musician as they each try to find success in their respective fields. Their paths force them to choose between love or career, such being the nature of the industry.
Another multiple-Oscar-winning film, La La Land transported audiences back to classic Hollywood, a time where musical love stories ruled the screens. The film features catchy, original music, stunning cinematography, and inventive dance choreography that makes it a one-of-a-kind feature film about the American dream, headlined by two of the industry’s biggest stars in Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone.
Maps to the Stars (2014)
David Cronenberg’s Maps to the Stars looks at the twisted, darker side of Hollywood as it follows a family chasing celebrity status while coping with the troubles of their past. It’s a film that delves into the psychological effect the industry can have on its performers, with disturbing consequences.
Maps to the Stars is an oftentimes harrowing look at what can happen when the industry fully consumes its talent, which can result in the pursuit of an impossible dream, made worse when things don’t go as envisioned. Cronenberg crafts some despicable characters in this film, though viewers are still able to empathize with them.
Get Shorty (1995)
The crime-comedy film Get Shorty saw John Travolta play another gangster following his star turn in Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, only this time his character would dabble in Hollywood. In Get Shorty, Travolta plays a mobster who’s arrived in Hollywood to collect a debt and goes on to use his crafty skills to become an industry player.
The film is a humorous look at some of the colorful characters that make up the industry, as well as the shady dealings that go on behind the scenes. Mobsters love movies as much as the next person, so it would stand to reason that they may have a hand in some of the features that come out of Hollywood.
Boogie Nights (1997)
Acclaimed film director Paul Thomas Anderson focuses on the porn industry in his film Boogie Nights. Mark Wahlberg plays a naive busboy with a special gift who’s discovered by an adult-film producer and turned into a star. His rise to fame comes crashing down, however, once he begins to enjoy the fruits of his success a bit too much.
Wahlberg puts in one of his best performances alongside an ensemble cast for the ages, in a film that tackles the theme of celebrity excess in a humorous, yet unwavering fashion. The film’s message transcends the industry it’s set in and is one that can be applied to any aspect of life where there’s a chance to over-indulge to the point of no return.
Tropic Thunder (2008)
Ben Stiller directs, co-writes and stars in the 2008 comedy film Tropic Thunder, which follows a group of eccentric actors who enter the jungle to shoot a war movie when they’re forced to play real soldiers after being captured by drug lords in a case of mistaken identity.
Stiller’s film is a satirical take on Hollywood that makes fun of the larger-than-life egos of the actors and producers that inhabit the industry, as well as the craft of acting itself. The film’s stars exhibit their character’s insecurities in a hilarious fashion, making Tropic Thunder one of the more multi-layered silly comedies to come of late.
Hugo (2011)
Martin Scorsese wrote his own love letter to Hollywood under the guise of the family movie, Hugo. It follows an orphan boy living in the walls of a train station, who sets out to find a key that will unlock an automation that may hold the secrets to his family history. Along the way, he meets George Melies, who is better known as one of the forefathers of cinema.
Hugo is not only a delightful family film, but it’s also a film that pays tribute to the earliest days of cinema and one of its pioneers in Melies. An entertaining movie that cleverly provides audiences with an education on the history of film.
Argo (2012)
Ben Affleck directs and stars in 2012’s Oscar-winning film Argo, based on a true story about a CIA agent who goes undercover as a Hollywood producer in an effort to rescue six Americans during a hostage crisis in Iran in 1979. Hollywood and the American government would have to work together to see this dangerous mission succeed.
Argo’s story is one that’s hard to believe had it not actually happened. The truth is often considered as being stranger than fiction in cases like this one, which always makes for some riveting viewing. Affleck once again proves that his talent behind the camera is of equal value to that of his talent in front of it with Argo.
Shadow of the Vampire (2000)
The underrated horror film Shadow of the Vampire is an interpretation of the events surrounding the making of the 1922 seminal vampire film, Nosferatu. It focuses on the rocky relationship between the film’s director and its star, who’s taken the term ‘method acting’ to the next level with his portrayal of the famous vampire.
Shadow of the Vampire is unique in that it blends the facts of a real event with fiction for entertainment purposes, much like Tarantino does with Inglourious Basterds and One Upon a Time… in Hollywood. It’s a film about the making of a film, had a real vampire been cast in the lead role.
JCVD (2008)
Martial arts action hero Jean-Claude Van Damme plays himself in the mockumentary-style film about his life, JCVD. In it, Van Damme gets caught up in a hostage situation during a bank robbery, which gives him a chance to reflect on his life and the troubles that have plagued him.
This is not a typical Van Damme film and he doesn’t play the type of character he’s usually known for, rather, it’s apparent that the actor’s performance is coming from a place deep within, and it shows through a soulful performance. JCVD is a must-see for any Van Damme fan, but also for anyone interested in a truthful interpretation of a once-bright star that’s begun to fade.
