Oscars

The winner of the 2025 Best Actress Oscar met a horrific end in this Tarantino film

Mikey Madison’s shocking fate in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” still stands as one of Quentin Tarantino’s most unforgettable scenes.

Rubén Martínez Roddy Cons

Update: Mar 15th, 2026 08:30 EDT

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When Mikey Madison won the 2025 Academy Award for best actress for her role in “Anora,” she officially arrived as one of Hollywood’s most celebrated performers. But long before that breakthrough, many movie fans already remembered her for something very different: characters who met spectacularly violent ends on screen.

Two films in particular stand out. One is the 2022 reboot of “Scream.” The other, and perhaps the most memorable, is Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (2019), where Madison played Sadie, a member of the infamous Manson Family. Her character’s fate ranks among the most brutal deaths in Tarantino’s entire filmography.

The winner of the 2025 Best Actress Oscar met a horrific end in this Tarantino film — Mikey Madison played Susan Atkins aka "Sadie", one of the Manson family members in 'Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood' (2019)

The Tarantino scene fans still talk about

In the film, Madison portrays Susan Atkins, also known as “Sadie,” one of Charles Manson’s followers. During the movie’s explosive climax, Sadie and other cult members attempt to break into the home of actor Rick Dalton, played by Leonardo DiCaprio.

Things quickly spiral out of control.

Dalton’s stunt double, Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), fights back alongside his pit bull, Brandy. In one of the scene’s most shocking moments, Cliff hurls a can of dog food directly into Sadie’s face, breaking her nose and knocking her down instantly. As she struggles on the ground, he commands Brandy to attack.

What follows is pure Tarantino chaos. Dizzy and badly injured, Sadie crashes through a window and staggers outside toward the property’s pool area. That is where Dalton finally finishes her off in the film’s most outrageous twist: with a flamethrower.

The sequence became one of the movie’s most unforgettable moments and perfectly captured Tarantino’s trademark mix of dark humor, stylized violence and cinematic spectacle.

A brief role that left a lasting impression

Madison’s role in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” was relatively small, but her performance and the shocking ending for her character became one of the most talked about elements of the film.

Tarantino, known for his deep love of movie history and his taste for bold, graphic storytelling, used the scene as a kind of fictional revenge fantasy. In real life, members of the Manson Family murdered actress Sharon Tate and several of her friends in 1969.

By rewriting history in his film, Tarantino turned the attackers’ fate into a cathartic moment for audiences. Over time, the sequence has become one of the defining scenes in his career, and an early milestone in Madison’s rise as an actress.

From shocking death scenes to Oscar glory

Madison’s victory at the 2025 Oscars for “Anora” marks a major turning point in her career. The film was one of the biggest winners of the night, also taking home awards for best picture, best director, best original screenplay and best film editing.

The award confirmed that Madison’s talent extends far beyond the brief villain roles that first introduced her to mainstream audiences. What once seemed like a small but memorable moment in a Tarantino film now looks, in hindsight, like an early stepping stone on her path to the top of Hollywood.

Her evolution shows how quickly careers can change in the film industry. Actors who once appeared in supporting roles can suddenly emerge as leading stars when the right opportunity arrives.

Where to watch “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” online

At the time of publication, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video as part of its subscription catalog, with additional options to rent or buy.

The film is also available to rent on Apple TV.