Killers of the Flower Moon review: Scorsese has done it again

Aside from the big guns of Marvel movies and franchise installments, Killers of the Flower Moon might be the most anticipated film of 2023.

Directed by Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, and Wolf of Wall Street maestro Martin Scorsese, the latest in his cinematic armory dissects the rocky relationship between the white man and the Osage Nation in 1920s America.

Even before the detail is explored – or perhaps before the movie itself is even seen – Killers of the Flower Moon has all the ingredients for a stoic, timeless hit, from stellar casting and performance to brutal, slick editing and a hawk-eyed focus on historical accuracy.

In his 2023 mindset, Scorsese implies to viewers that true perfection now comes at a price – which in this case, is an astounding 3-hour 26-minute runtime.

Osage Nation land scrutinized to perfection

When it comes to Scorsese, nothing is second-guessed. Every frame is kept in check, every decision is rightfully accounted for, and every excruciating moment in America’s Osage history is pried apart.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Ernest Burkhart, a former soldier who has arrived at his Uncle William’s (Robert De Niro) house after the way. Inherently lazy but a prolific lover of money, William brings Ernest up to speed with the Osage’s oil wealth and advises that he takes a Native American wife to inherit her wealth. Ernest meets Molly (Lily Gladstone) and the two quickly fall for each other and get married.

While Ernest’s personal journey is happening, the Osage Nation is increasingly in danger in the wider picture. One by one, Native American landowners begin to be killed, with no formal investigation or community suspicion. Even though nobody is talking or claims to know who’s behind it, the answer is staring the local town straight in the face.

If nothing else, Scorsese is taking total accountability for the forgotten truth of the U.S.A. When many viewers think of Native Americans, the mind doesn’t immediately go to young men attending Harvard, women dressed up in the finest jewels and clothes around, or happily married couples ruling the roost over what is rightfully their land. Just by using this lens, Scorsese offers up something audiences can’t refuse.

A-list actors bring their A-game in Killers of the Flower Moon

DiCaprio and De Niro are unsurprisingly phoning in the kind of extraordinary performance that has become their norm. Playing opposite each other like a villain and their often-clumsy apprentice, the pair’s quiet and cold calculations for their town are ideal for making the most heinous crimes go unnoticed.

Where everybody loves De Niro in real life, William Hale is an outward hero propped up by the willingness of others to keep his secrets. Strangely, it’s a balance that suits him. The same can be said for DiCaprio, who consistently wears a scowl befitting both a cantankerous old man and a five-year-old elementary schooler who’s been told off for pulling a girl’s pigtails. Ernest’s whining when things don’t go his way is hideously delicious to watch.

However, the standout performance lies at the feet of Lily Gladstone. Effortlessly supported by an Osage cast who hold the tragedy of decades past in their hearts, Molly Burkhart bears a level of grief and trauma that no one person should ever account for. Gladstone has to reach from peaks to pits in order to tell the story effectively – and she always goes the extra mile.

However… hold onto your butts

It wouldn’t be a Killers of the Flower Moon review if it didn’t discuss the elephant in the room, would it Marty?

No matter how good a film might be, sitting through something solidly for over 3 hours is something of an endurance test. It can’t help but detract from the overall viewing experience, prompting viewers to step out of the story to time their next toilet break or wonder whether there are any snacks left available in the foyer.

Scorsese himself has remarked that viewers need to get on board with art that can’t be rushed – or at the very least, grin and bear it. Perhaps there is an argument to say that tackling a sensitive and important subject needs a comfortable time frame, but Killers goes some way to show that sticking with it pays off in the long run.

Killers of the Flower Moon review score: 5/5

There’s no two ways about it – Killers of the Flower Moon is both a colossal and astonishing feat.

Its success is destined to ride on the coattails of Scorsese’s earlier work, heralded as a film to look to for how to handle history with an outside eye.

If viewers can make their peace with the runtime, the film is a no-holds-barred history lesson that will be etched in their minds for life. Academy Awards, here we come…

Killers of the Flower Moon hits cinemas on October 20. Find out more about it here, and you can see more of our upcoming film coverage, check out the hubs below:

Five Nights at Freddy’s | Dune: Part Two | The Marvels | Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes