Time: 206 Minutes
Age Rating: M – Violence, offensive language & content that may disturb
Cast:
Leonardo DiCaprio as Ernest Burkhart
Robert De Niro as William King Hale
Lily Gladstone as Mollie Burkhart
Director: Martin Scorsese

Killers of the Flower Moon was my most anticipated film of 2023. Martin Scorsese is my favourite director so naturally I am interested in whatever he has next to make, especially since he’s had a particular streak of fantastic films recently, with The Irishman, Silence, The Wolf of Wall Street and Hugo. Not only does it have Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro starring, but in the lead up to its release I also read the non-fiction book that the movie is based on, which was a riveting and revelatory story to experience. I had high hopes for the movie and Killers of the Flower Moon more than delivered.

Something notable about Killers of the Flower Moon is how it differs from the book from David Grann. Originally it was to follow the source material and take place from the perspective of the FBI investigating these murders. Thankfully, there was definitely a shift and heavy rewrites, which now places the perspective much closer to the Osage people, and especially the murders. This movie definitely has a lot to it, a common thing mentioned is the fact that it is 3.5 hours long, which will definitely turn people off. You definitely feel the length, but I’d say that it more than earns that runtime. None of the scenes felt like they were wasting time or padding things out, they all felt essential. It is steadily paced, but it is riveting to watch with the excellent storytelling. It is a slow burn and the build-up over the course of the runtime is very strong. The movie is full of details and characters to keep track of, but I was able to follow everything that was happening. I found it very compelling to watch, despite the brutal portrayal of the Osage murders and atrocities not making this an easy viewing by any means. It is very much a portrait of and meditation on American greed, violence, systemic racism and complicity. It’s a dense and heavy movie, and the bleak story along with the long runtime might make this one of Scorsese’s least accessible and rewatchable movies. Without getting into it, I think it ends on a strong note and hits it home in a great and creative way.

The acting is phenomenal. Leonardo DiCaprio gives one of his best performances as Ernest Burkhart, who is probably one of his most complex characters. Robert De Niro also gives one of his best performances as William Hale, the mastermind of these Osage killings. His portrayal is very convincing and wisely resists the urge to portray his character as a cliche villain. This works to great effect, making him more chilling and feels a lot more real. Lily Gladstone is the standout and heart and soul of the movie. As Mollie Burkhart, she does a lot with quiet nuances, and her silence speaks such large volumes. She gives her role a lot of depth and delivers a quietly devastating performance. If there’s a criticism I have, is that I think the movie would’ve benefited with a much stronger focus on Mollie, even though she already has a lot of screen time in the movie and has a notable role. There’s also some great chemistry between Gladstone and DiCaprio, making you believe that Mollie and Ernest are in love, which is important for this movie especially with how things play out. Jesse Plemons isn’t in the movie much, but he is good as the FBI agent sent to Oklahoma to investigate the Osage murders. Finally, the rest of the supporting cast are outstanding and leave strong impressions no matter how little their roles or screen times were, including Tantoo Cardinal, John Lithgow, Brendan Fraser, Cara Jade Myers, Scott Shepard, Jason Isbell, and Louis Cancelmi.

Martin Scorsese’s direction is nothing short of outstanding, as to be expected. The cinematography from Rodrigo Prieto is amazing and captures some very memorable imagery and with so many details in the frame. This might actually be one of Scorsese’s best shot films. The editing from Thelma Schoonmaker is also top notch as usual; putting together a movie that is 3.5 hours is already impressive, but she does very well at making the film move at a constant pace and giving it such energy throughout. The production design is immersive, fully realized and top notch, really taking you back to 1920s Oklahoma. The movie also does a great job at gives it a haunting sense of dread from beginning to end. Finally, the score from the late Robbie Robertson is incredible and added a lot to the movie.

Killers of the Flower Moon is a devastating, riveting, haunting and monumental epic that’s fantastically directed and has excellent performances, especially from Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone and Robert De Niro. One of 2023’s best films, and one of Martin Scorsese’s best. The runtime and grim story will definitely be a turn off for many, but I think it’s well worth watching, especially in the cinema if possible.