Killers of the Flower Moon

It’s a Martin Scorsese movie, so of course, Killers of the Flower Moon is very well made and very well acted. But it’s also three hours and twenty-six minutes long, a running time that allows Scorsese to really luxuriate in the story being told — but that also feels suffocating at times. Of course, Scorsese is no stranger to marathon running times of late; The Irishman had pretty much the same running time (209 minutes), and that length felt like a necessary part of the story being told. Spending less time with its characters almost certainly would have dulled its impact. Alas, that just isn’t the case here, with the intense running time making the film feel flabby at first, and eventually (at some point around hour two) somewhat punishing. Maybe “punishing” is harsh — the film is far too skillfully made to be a complete wash, but there’s just way, way too much of it.

** out of ****