'Killers of the Flower Moon' Review and Discussion
One of our most anticipated movies of the decade is here!
You made it to Friday, DYLA readers! Instead of the usual weekend recommendations, we just have one for you today: go see Killers of the Flower Moon. We have been waiting for this epic true crime drama from Martin Scorsese for a long time, so we dedicated a whole podcast episode to breaking down the story, performances, themes, and more. We go into spoilers for the movie about halfway in to the conversation, so make sure to come back and listen to that part after you’ve seen it.
In today’s newsletter, you can also find Drew’s written review for Killers of the Flower Moon (5 out of 5 apples!) as well. Thanks for reading and listening!
Killers of the Flower Moon podcast breakdown
Killers of the Flower Moon review
Drew: It’s an odd feeling to anticipate a film for so long, and then when it’s finally here it turns out to be everything you’d hoped, only richer and deeper than you’d ever expected. David Grann’s book about the Osage murders and the early days of the FBI is one of the best pieces of nonfiction I’ve read (I think I recommended it to everyone I knew back when it came out), but Martin Scorsese’s adaptation brilliantly reframes and recontextualizes this story of greed, betrayal, and murder. Like the book, you’re both gripped by a compelling true crime story and outraged by the unfettered pervasiveness of evil and corruption. However, the film alters the focus of the telling so that you’re placed uncomfortably in the middle of the many complex relationships at the heart of Killers of the Flower Moon.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone flesh out these real historical people with magnificent performances. As great as DiCaprio is as the dim-witted, conflicted Ernest, Gladstone is nothing short of a revelation. Much like in Kelly Reichardt’s Certain Women (the role that got her cast in this), she is so adept at playing stillness that conveys roiling emotions underneath. Her bursts of grief and sorrow as Mollie Burkhart punctuate the best performance in the movie.
Scorsese and Robert De Niro have been working together for so long that it’s no surprise that the latter can still deliver a vintage De Niro performance for Marty. As Bill Hale, he effortlessly commits to embodying a monster hiding in plain sight. Scorsese doesn’t need to announce Hale as the villain in bold font; it’s all there in De Niro’s surprisingly layered work on screen. Both over 80 now, Scorsese and De Niro have collaborated for yet another masterpiece.
It’s inconceivable that Scorsese’s films at his advanced age are as vital as ever. His last four major features are some of the best and most profound of his career. He continues to marshal the collective power of his frequent collaborators – editor Thelma Schoonmaker, musician Robbie Robertson, cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, among others – to tell riveting and important stories.
Killers of the Flower Moon is an epic and staggering achievement, both an indictment of the past sins of our nation and a remembrance of a people exploited and persecuted by greed, racism, and true evil. In Scorsese’s last few films, there’s a wise introspection present that only a legendary filmmaker near the end of his life could be capable of, as the unexpected, masterful coda of Killers of the Flower Moon demonstrates. This film examines not only a tragic chapter of the Osage Nation and an intimate and irreconcilable marriage, but Scorsese’s own role telling this story. Far from resting on his laurels, Scorsese is a filmmaker still thoughtfully grappling with American myth, sin, guilt, and absolution. - 5 / 5 Apples
What did you think of Killers of the Flower Moon? Let us know in the comments below or on Instagram and X @youlike_apples!