The theatrical release reviews are in for Killers of the Flower Moon, and is safe to say Martin Scorsese has another epic, albeit a polarising one.
The new historical drama is directed by Scorsese and features an all-star cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Brendan Fraser, Jesse Plemons and John Lithgow.
It is based on the non-fiction novel Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI written by David Grann.
The official premise reads:
'Members of the Osage tribe in northeastern Oklahoma are murdered under mysterious circumstances in the 1920s, sparking a major BOI investigation directed by a 29-year-old J. Edgar Hoover and former Texas Ranger Tom White, described by Grann as "an old-style lawman."'
Upon its release at Cannes, it received praise for its overall filmmaking, but some critics questioned whether Scorsese was the right man for the job.
Killers of the Flower Moon reviews
" looks the audience in the eye, daring us to turn away, knowing that if we do, then we’re not only willing to purposefully not learn from our rancid and racist history but, even more appallingly, we’re ready to forgive it, too." - Sara Michelle Fetters of MovieFreak.com
"Nothing about Killers of the Flower Moon is small. Yet for all its massiveness, its effect is grounded, local. And that's a testament to its ability to crawl underneath your skin." - Adam Graham of Detroit News.
"A profoundly American tale of Faustian dimensions. This is cinema of the highest order." - James Verniere of The Boston Herald.
"A lavish, big-budget period picture, old-school in its set-building and packed, teeming frames of extras in period-perfect clothes." Michael Phillips of The Chicago Tribune.
"Here in a movie of guilt and conscience, he springs an ending that is at once as glitteringly audacious as anything in his career — and a mea culpa too. For now, upper-case Cinema lives." - Danny Leigh of The Financial Times.
“I question if Scorsese is the right person to tell this story. With a third act stumble, it’s far from perfect, but still a strong showing.” - Therese Lacson of Collider.
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
The 1920s, Oklahoma. Members of the Osage tribe are murdered under mysterious circumstances. After the death toll continues to rise, the newly formed FBI takes on the case. The case will lead to one of the largest crime cases in American history.
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Stars:
Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone
"Killers of the Flower Moon: Leonardo DiCaprio gives the best performance of his life in a frequently great Scorsese epic that misses the mythic sweep of the book but succeeds instead as a toxic love story." - David Ehrlich of IndieWire.
"KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON is utterly exceptional & more gripping with every minute. An honest adaptation about the complexities of abuse faced by Osage Indians. Lily Gladstone is the soul of the entire film, delivering an astonishing performance with simply her eyes." - Yasmine Kandil of Discussing Film.
"There’s a difference between “long” and “epic,” although in movie terms the two frequently get confused. Martin Scorsese delivers the former but not the latter with Killers of the Flower Moon." - Brian Lowry of CNN.com
"Scorsese’s exemplary adaptation of Grann’s true crime book ingeniously shifts genres over 3 hrs and 26 mins while maintaining its core theme of burning betrayal. It’s top tier Marty. Especially loved De Niro and Gladstone in their role." - Martyn Corterio
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