Killers of the Flower Moon Review: America’s Unsettling Truth

Killers of the Flower Moon Review: America’s Unsettling Truth

By Dylan Barbee

Courtesy of IMDb

Release Date: October 20, 2023 

Spoiler Free Review 

Martin Scorsese’s latest film Killers of The Flower Moon is a movie that I think everyone needs to see. From the array of genres Scorsese emulates to craft his story, to the representation of the Osage Nation, Killers of The Flower Moon is a movie that will leave you reflecting on America’s dark history.  

Killers of The Flower Moon is based on the journalistic novel by David Grann, a staff writer for the New Yorker. The latest Apple TV+ film depicts how a family of the Osage Nation gained wealth from oil being beneath their community and how they became victims of a series of murders in Fairfax, Oklahoma because of it. It is crucial to recognize that this film is based on a true story and that these murders inflicted on the Osage Nation actually occurred nearly a hundred years ago. 

Scorsese recruited a masterclass of actors and actresses to depict this harrowing story. One of the many greatest strengths of Killers of The Flower Moon is the overall cast performance. Robert De Niro did a stellar job playing William Hale, a powerful, well respected man in the community of Fairfax who has many acquaintances. Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance as Hale’s nephew, Earnest Burkhart and the main protagonist was decent with rare instances of greatness. However, Lily Gladstone as Molly Burkhart, who is a member of the Osage Nation and whose family has wealth due to oil, stole the show. Every time she appeared on screen she engrossed my full attention. This was due to her ability to patiently deliver her lines and to display grief so effectively with cries of pains and gut wrenching screams. Lily Gladstone seriously needs an Oscar for best lead actress from her performance in Killers of The Flower Moon.

Although the film is about a depressing sequence of murders inflicted on the Osage community by white settlers, Killers of The Flower Moon takes on a diverse set of tones and genres within its 3 hour and 26 minute runtime. I enjoyed the love story that soon turns into a deceptive relationship between Molly (Lily Gladstone) and Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio). It’s entertaining to never really know what the two lovers truly feel about each other, existing on different sides of the story. I respect how Scorsese tells American history through a perspective of this growing relationship that transitioned into a crookedly crime-filled film and is later countered with a nail biting investigative tone near the end. The performance from Jesse Plemmons as a lead detective for the FBI was pleasantly surprising. 

In Killers of The Flower Moon, there are many impactful messages being portrayed. Scorsese clearly puts the commitment of marriage above all, using Earnest as a character to tell the audience that putting things like money and power above marriage will only leave you with a list of regrets. Some of the character’s greed just led to more pain and suffering that the Osage Nation had to take on which caused family dilemmas and some heavily emotional scenes. 

When it comes to the flaws of Killers of The Flower Moon, the movie could’ve been at least thirty minutes shorter and still have the same impact on the audience. There were also some pacing issues where transition scenes were just outright confusing and seemed that they were used as a way for Scorsese to let the cinematographers shine. 

I understand that this is a Scorsese film with Leonardo Dicaprio and Robert De Niro and at the end of the day, these names will bring more watchers, but I feel at times the hyperfixation on their characters overshadow the people and the message that the film is paying homage to: the Osage Nation. Lily Gladstone’s character Molly Burkhart felt pushed to the side at times and underused which is disappointing.

However, Scorsese still does a great job of giving representation to the Osage community within the film. Some of the people in the film who had monologues filled in as actors because they are currently part of the Osage Nation and their community was affected by this not so long ago history. Throughout the film, Scorsese celebrates Osage culture. This is done by bringing to light how the Osage Nation celebrates weddings, takes part in a family member's passing, and their perception of death and the afterlife. 

Lastly, Killers of The Flower Moon is a film of much importance when it comes to recognizing some of the horrors Native Americans faced. This silent genocide that took place within Fairfax, Oklahoma during the roaring twenties is not talked about enough today. I admire Scorsese for depicting such a devastating story and an uncomfortable conversation to currently have through a variety of genres and tones for everyone to witness on the big screen. Everyone should go see this movie.

Rating: 8.5/10