From Joe Peltzer

A case study for cinematography and direction with a stellar performance by Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon falters due to a shoddy script that never kicks into high gear, a discredit to the talented cast and ultimately to the story being told. I wanted more The Departed and ended up with a slower Gangs of New York (and that’s saying something).

In Killers of the Flower Moon, based on David Grann’s book of the same name, Scorcese explores the numerous killings of members of the Osage Nation as opportunists set their sites on those rich from oil. There are moments in Killers of the Flower Moon where you see the greatness that Martin Scorcese brings to his projects on the verge of breaking through, but they are bookended by a hitting of the brakes that contributes to the film’s exorbitant runtime. Forrest Gump writer Eric Roth’s script delivers all of the details that you need to know early on, setting up the string of murders and the reasons behind them with the culprit soon becoming clear. Each is presented, however, in bizarre cutaways that seem aimlessly strewn about, cutting into other scenes that we then return to as if nothing occurred. Even then, the established low energy of the film never wanes. 

The performances make Killers of the Flower Moon worth watching, as does Scorcese’s extensive filmography. Frequent collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio is once again in the lead portraying an unlikable character who we are led to believe is not very bright, though this is never expanded upon. Some of his best moments are with his onscreen wife Lily Gladstone who has found herself in the Oscars conversation, but may come up short, not because there was anything wrong with her performance (it’s quite poignant), rather the script never fully develops to allow her to shine. It’s Robert De Niro, another Scorcese favorite, who steps into the villainous role in Killers of the Flower Moon and unsurprisingly excels. His portrayal of a character manipulating those around him, vacillating between selfish desires and bogus acts of care to further his way results in one of De Niro’s finest performances to date. Jesse Plemons is simply fine as an FBI agent, popping into the picture over halfway through, however his constant referral to DiCaprio’s character as “son” seemed out of place and better suited for a more senior performer.

The biggest letdown in the performances here comes from Brendan Fraser, hot off of an Oscar for The Whale and delivering one of the most cringeworthy sets of dialogue from any film in recent memory as an attorney opposite John Lithgow. The latter isn’t much better, but every line uttered from Fraser is silly, over-the-top, and frankly embarrassing in a film that features such dynamic portrayals. His appearance on the scene late in the third act is what ultimately tanked Killers of the Flower Moon for me as it then leads to a truly odd choice by Scorcese in wrapping up the story that completely sucks the importance of the tale of the Osage from a film that could have been more successfully executed with a 2-hour run time.

The problems all stem from a script that was stretched far too long, losing sight of the film’s existence in the first place. That aside, Scorcese’s direction is on par with what we have come to expect, set upon Robbie Robertson’s appropriately mysterious and tense score. Killers of the Flower Moon has a lot of promise, but it is far from the epic one expected upon the film’s announcement. It instead ends up as one of the more forgettable Scorcese films that fails to live up to even his version of proper cinema.

Rating: 2/5

Killers of the Flower Moon hits theaters on October 20th, 2023 before streaming on Apple TV+ on a future date.

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