"Killers of the Flower Moon" Movie Review

“Killers of the Flower Moon” is Martin Scorsese’s thoughtful, passionate telling of a great American tragedy starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone.

The film clutches onto viewers for 207 minutes and strengthens its grip with every scene. Through immaculate pacing and unrelenting suspense, “Killers of the Flower Moon” seems to cut the runtime in half and keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

DiCaprio leads with another stellar performance and Gladstone is mesmerizing as she becomes a symbol of what Native Americans were battling through in the early 1900s.

This thought-provoking adaptation of the 2017 nonfiction book “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI” leaves the audience on their toes with the unpredictability of each scene.

The film follows DiCaprio’s Ernest Burkhart through a chaotic marriage with Gladstone’s Mollie Burkhart. De Niro’s William Hale is the force of conflict in the film and presents Ernest with challenges that test his moral values.

The story works towards a climactic finish in which the true motivations of the main characters are finally revealed.

Scorsese and DiCaprio strike again with another masterful collaboration.

DiCaprio is at his best while portraying a sympathetic character struggling with his moral identity, and that’s what we get from Burkhart as the protagonist. Burkhart is indecisive, short-tempered and driven by his values while clashing with the values and motives of his uncle, William Hale.

De Niro turns in a quietly sinister performance as the self-proclaimed “king of the Osage hills." When introduced to Hale he appears kind and trustworthy but as we are shown his story we lose trust in him and his intent becomes more evident. De Niro plays this role effectively in a way that creates fear for the audience in the uncertainty of his character.

Mollie Burkhart, the true protagonist of the movie who is portrayed expertly by Gladstone, is the source of sympathy for the viewer as audiences watch her struggle through an exasperating story.

Gladstone’s performance is a representation of the Osage people, and she plays it powerfully and completes the task of making the audience feel sympathetic for not just her character, but the entire Osage nation.

The cinematography in this film is beautiful and paints the American landscape with an array of beautiful shots and camera movements. Countless scenes in this movie will leave audiences wondering how the filmmakers were able to get that shot from their sheer elegance.

Although the plot takes time to kick into gear, the cinematography is there to grasp the attention of the viewer from the start at a time when establishing shots are needed. The setting is crucial to the story so it was important to have the audience understand the setting at the beginning of the narrative.

Overall, “Killers of the Flower Moon” is a dramatic, intense experience that exhausts the audience but also leaves them wanting more. The combination of Scorsese’s storytelling and the riveting performances of the cast create an enthralling spectacle. Despite the length of the movie, it is difficult to find a scene that doesn’t serve a purpose or isn’t necessary to the story.

Rating: 4/5

Sketch Morton is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email sam7539@psu.edu.