‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ hailed ‘artistic zenith for Martin Scorsese,’ Lily Gladstone highlights ‘masterful’ cast [Review Round-Up]

On October 20, 2023, Apple Original Films released “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Oscar winner Martin Scorsese‘s highly anticipated film in which members of the Osage tribe in the United States are murdered under mysterious circumstances in the 1920s, sparking a major F.B.I. investigation involving J. Edgar Hoover.

The film premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in May and received raves from critics, holding fresh at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and bolstering in Gold Derby’s Oscar odds across the board. The critics consensus reads, “Enormous in runtime, theme, and achievement, ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ is a sobering appraisal of America’s relationship with Indigenous peoples and yet another artistic zenith for Martin Scorsese and his collaborators.”

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The film based on the bestseller of the same name by David Grann features an all-star cast that includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons, Brendan Fraser, John Lithgow, Tantoo Cardinal, Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson and Scott Shepherd. Read our full review round-up below.

Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com writes, “Scorsese walks that fine line between telling a very specific story of a couple at the heart of a tragedy and commenting on the larger nature of evil.” He continues, “’Killers of the Flower Moon’ may not be a traditional gangster picture, but it’s completely in tune with the stories of corrupt, violent men that Scorsese has explored for a half-century. And yet there’s also a sense of age in Scorsese’s work here, the feeling that he’s using this horrifying true story to interrogate how we got to where we are a hundred years later. How did we allow blood to fertilize the soil of this country? Scorsese and Roth took a book that’s essentially about the formation of the F.B.I. by way of the investigation into the Osage murders and shifted the storytelling to a more personal perspective.”

Elliott Collins of Movie Files writes, “This is a dark and devastating retrospective story about greed and corruption. The performances given by DiCpario, De Niro and Gladstone, is nothing short of masterful. This is one of Scorseses most personal & important films – very poignant and intimate.” 

SEE Martin Scorsese discusses his long relationship with Leonardo DiCaprio ahead of ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’

Matt Oakes of Silver Screen Riot says, “Scorsese’s usual themes occasionally feel cold and indifferent, losing their way amidst the film’s at times impressive, at times exhausting expansiveness.” He adds, “Scorsese peels back this tragedy through the eyes of its perpetrators, taking us through how Bill (De Niro) and Ernest (DiCaprio) slowly plotted to cozy up to and then kill those with oil money to their names. Ernest’s transition from hapless war veteran to obedient executioner almost happens offscreen and is without great dramatic upheaval, which makes it somewhat hard to track a man who ostensibly loves his wife but is also willing to execute her entire family and slowly poison her.”

Avi Offer of NYC Movie Guru calls it “Well-shot with a fine ensemble cast and a radiant performance by Lily Gladstone, but often meandering, overlong, sporadically exhilarating and only occasionally moving.” Offer continues, “Leonardo DiCaprio brings charisma to his role, but not much more than that. His accent isn’t very convincing, unfortunately. Jesse Plemons is terrific in his support role. If only there were more scenes with him. Brendan Fraser and John Lithgow also show up in smaller, underdeveloped roles. Lily Gladstone shines the brightest with a genuinely moving performance. She’s the film’s MVP and helps the film to become alive whenever she’s on screen.”

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