The Psychology of Rick Dalton

How does Quentin Tarantino keep in audience invested in the drama of the Lancer TV pilot within “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood?” A story within a story can be a tricky thing to execute without lowering the stakes of the primary narrative, so how does Tarantino pull it off? This video essay digs into the psychology of Rick Dalton as a character and his arc throughout the course of the film, culminating in his performance as Caleb the heavy in “Lancer.”