Killers of the Flower Moon

Directed by Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon details the chaos and violence that ensues after several Native Americans are murdered within Oklahoma’s Osage nation in the early part of the 20th century. There’s little doubt, ultimately, that Killers of the Flower Moon fares best in its early scenes, as filmmaker Scorsese, working from his and Eric Roth’s screenplay, does a predictably superb job of establishing the movie’s very specific time and place – with the compelling atmosphere heightened by Robbie Robertson’s striking score and a series of top-notch performances. (Leonardo DiCaprio is quite good here, of course, although his fake teeth remain a woeful distraction from start to finish.) It’s disappointing to note, then, that Killers of the Flower Moon progresses into a midsection that grows less and less interesting as it unfolds, with the picture’s downfall due almost entirely to its padded-out and hopelessly shapeless narrative – with Scorsese’s decision to continually emphasize tedious tangents contributing heavily to the increasingly uninvolving (and frustratingly momentum-free) atmosphere. And although the viewer’s interest is buoyed by a comparatively propulsive final hour, which boasts entertaining appearances by Brendan Fraser and John Lithgow, Killers of the Flower Moon has, by the time all is said and done, cemented its place as a palpable misfire that could (and most certainly should) have topped out at around two hours. (The final scene is terrific, at least.)

** out of ****