Movie Review: KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Robert de Niro

There’s a lot you can do with three hours and 26 minutes.

You can watch a sporting event.

You can change your oil.

You can individually count 12,360 seconds.

Or if you feel so inclined, you can go see Killers of the Flower Moon, the latest film from Martin Scorsese. Based on the book of the same name by David Grann, the film provides a brief(well, relatively brief) overview of a string of murders that occurred in Oklahoma during the 1920s, during which at least 60 members of the Osage tribe were murdered.

Starring familiar Scorsese collaborators Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio as William King Hale and his nephew, Ernest Burkhart, respectively. While Leo is often the star of any film he’s in, it’s safe to say he’s definitely not the protagonist of the film this time. Coming to work for his uncle after serving in World War I, Ernest is quickly moved by his uncle to ingratiate himself among the wealthy Osage, who earned millions of dollars from the oil that was discovered on tribal land. While Hale is initially effusive in his praise of the Osage, calling them wonderful and beautiful, his intent is quickly made clear: he wants Ernest to marry a full-blooded Osage so once they die, their inheritance will go to Ernest, who will in turn sign it over to his uncle.

Ernest, eager to please his uncle, begins courting Mollie, perhaps the only truly sympathetic character in the main cast. Lily Gladstone gives a top-notch performance as a member of the Osage whose world is completely torn apart as a result of marrying Ernest, resulting in the murders of her sisters.

I’ll get the obvious out of the way: I’d advise you not to drink too much liquid before or during the film, unless you’re comfortable with getting up and missing a few minutes. There’s no planned intermission, so once you get there, settle in for the long haul. Having said that, the 3:26 run mark somehow doesn’t feel overly long. Some films I’ve seen (such as Cats!) were so dreadful I worried I was in a timeloop and missed seeing my niece grow up; Killers, on the other hand, is a mastercrafted slow burn that left me infuriated (in a good way) and interested in learning more about the historical events.

DiCaprio and De Niro are two of the biggest film stars of the last 50 years, and they give good, at times excellent, performances, but I never really felt like they shone as much as Lily whenever she was on screen. She’s reserved, quiet, but loving and trusting of her husband, even when it’s abundantly clear she shouldn’t be. She doesn’t raise her voice in anger, only anguish, but she perseveres. She is perhaps the best example of humanity in the film, and her character is an apt microcosm of how awful the American government handled the rights of Native Americans. De Niro is the primary antagonist in the film, and he does an excellent job, but he doesn’t often get the opportunity to take over scenes like he would in his prime. DiCaprio, who was originally going to play Bureau of Investigation Tom White (a role that went to Jesse Plemons) but requested to portray Ernest after reading the script, garners the most screen time, but even he lacks the typical energy and charisma I’ve come to expect from him. Perhaps it’s how Ernest appeared, but his mouth is perpetually in a frown (think Grumpy Cat), which is somewhat fitting, as he’s almost always in a dour or somber mood as the scheme initially succeeds but slowly unravels. 

I called the film a “brief” overview because there’s quite a bit more history to the murders than is shown in the film. Oklahoma as a whole was going through a tumultuous time; the still-nascent state (Oklahoma was only admitted to the union in 1907) also went through the infamous Tulsa race massacre, during which 35 city blocks were burned down in Tulsa, one of the largest (and wealthiest) African-American communities in the country. But specific to the Osage murders, there were quite a few more documented murders over a period of years that the film didn’t portray. Killers, however, is sufficiently powerful and moving enough that it’s prompted me to learn more about the incident and check out the eponymous novel.

There isn’t any action in the movie, nor are there any uproariously funny moments. Instead, what we’re given is an excellent example of how good storytelling and pacing can make a three-plus hour with little physical action an engaging, gripping story. I don’t think it’s Scorsese’s finest work, but it’s among his stronger efforts, and one I’d gladly recommend, as long as you don’t have a microbladder.

Killers of the Flower Moon gets an A-.