Written by Eric Roth, directed by Martin Scorsese, and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, and a stacked ensemble cast. Killers of the Flower Moon is a movie that as soon as I saw the first trailer, I was sure I was going to like. This was a movie that I had to go and see alone as once my wife found out that this clocks in at over three hours she was out!
How to Download Killers of the Flower Moon
Killers of the Flower Moon was released on October 20, 2023. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. Also, check out other films by Martin Scorsese, such as The Last Temptation of Christ, The Aviator, Shutter Island, and The Wolf of Wall Street.
The Movie Review
That is the thing about this movie, it is a good movie, but I truly do not think it needed to be as long as it was. This same story could have been told in two hours and not have lost anything in the process. I know some people will say that people have no attention span and do not appreciate the “art” of a movie like this. I call that some real pretentious BS to be honest with you. This is a movie that demands just too much from the audience in my opinion.
The fact that this is based on a true story does make it even more hard hitting and brutal. The story takes place in the early 20th century and the Native Americans who live in Osage discover oil and strike it rich. Of course, they cannot just let these natives have all this oil and riches for themselves and a horrific and sadistic plot is made to take it from them.
Standout Performances in a Gripping True Story
Leonardo DiCaprio plays a man called Ernest who at the order of his uncle, William King Hale, starts to put into motion a plan to kill the Native Americans and take the oil and wealth for themselves. It is pretty horrific stuff, made even worse by Hale getting Ernest to shack up with one of the Osage women, Mollie so that he can get closer and have easier access to the money and this dastardly plan they have.
The Osage people notice the strange deaths that happen and start to fight back, Mollie leading the charge and heading out of town to bring in help to crack this case. The story here, is great. I think that they really did have something and the acting is the best I have seen this year.
A Visual Feast: The Cinematography of Killers of the Flower Moon
Lilly Gladstone is fantastic and she and Leonardo DiCaprio have just strong screen presence. However, this is the best work I have seen from Robert De Niro in years! He is amazing as the vile and evil man that is like a sheep in wolves clothing as he pretends, he is friends with the Osage people, but he is an absolute monster.
Killers of the Flower Moon is a fantastic-looking movie. This is one of the most eye catching westerns that I have seen in a very long time. The set design, the costumes, and just the whole vibe of the movie feel very real, raw, and authentic. It is easily one of the most visually striking movies of the year for me.
The Challenge of Movie Length in Modern Cinema
However, as much as I liked this movie, three and a half hours for the movie is just so unreasonable. If they could have even got it down to right around the three hour mark, that would have been ok. I will probably pick this up when it is released on 4K as I have a feeling that had my first viewing of this had been in a situation where I could go to the bathroom or even watch it in two parts, I would have enjoyed it even more than I did.
