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LIGHTS, camera, action.
In case you hadn’t heard, cinemagoers and Netflix subscribers are getting a sequel to Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood. QT didn’t want this to be his tenth and final film, according to the arbitrary rules that he’s set himself; still, he wrote a sequel to his 2019 film, which bagged Brad Pitt an Oscar for his portrayal of bad boy stuntman Cliff Booth. Directing duties have fallen on none other than David Fincher.
The film takes place eight years after the events of Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood, when Booth has traded stunts for being a “studio fixer.”
Now, we have the first trailer for Fincher’s latest, titled The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth… And everyone is asking the same question: Is anyone else squinting?
The trailer has been criticised for its murky appearance, with fans saying they can’t see a damn thing.
Check it out below:
One fan wrote on X: “Why is it so fucking dark? It’s supposed to be a fun story and not Zodiac or Mindhunter. Even Gone Girl’s Cinematography looked more lively than this. Why does ADVENTURES of Cliff Booth have cinematography of Obsession?”.
Another commented: “They fucked up using dark tinted camera effect. Not sure why they keep doing this.”
Check out more reactions to the trailer’s look below:
One user explained: “When The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth releases later this year, the tone and lighting will be heavily debated. For the audience, the shift means moving from sunshine to shadows. Quentin Tarantino’s original film was shot on warm 35mm film to capture a dreamy, golden California. Fincher’s sequel uses his trademark palette of heavy shadows and clinical yellow-green tones. It strips away the mythic, laid-back hero to expose a much darker character.”
This is not the first time that audiences have pointed out that lighting in films seems to have gotten darker.
Earlier this year, the trailer for The Devil Wears Prada 2 was slammed for its dimly-lit appearance, with one viral post stating: “The heartbreaking story of a woman who can no longer afford lamps in her office.”
Some have blamed this darker look on filmmakers wishing to make digital feel more cinematic and on creatives mistaking a darker look as automatically equating to “serious”. Others blame the standardization of “content” by major streaming studios, and Netflix has been accused more than once of imposing “The Netflix Look”.
This refers to frequent complaints that the streaming giant is making all movies look and feel the same through uniform lighting, leading to a bland appearance and a muted colour palette that removes deep contrasts.
Whatever the case may be, either moviegoers are going to need to whip out their best specs, or those watching at home may wish to dial up their lighting settings when the film drops on Netflix.
The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth also stars Elizabeth Debicki, Scott Caan, Carla Gugino, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Peter Weller. It premieres in Imax on 25 November for a two-week theatrical engagement, followed by a release on Netflix on 23 December.