By Nicholas Vermaaten, Contributor

[Apple Studios; 2023]

Rating: 9/10

For quite a few years now I have been a fan of Scorsese’s directorial outings. His stories of morally bankrupt rags to riches narratives are engaging not only for the quotable lines and memorable characters, but also for the cinematic excellence and thematic relevance his projects consistently capture. His work portrays a quality of filmmaking rare to contemporary cinema. This continues with his most recent film, Killers of the Flower Moon.

Killers of the Flower Moon stars real-life figures Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) and William King Hale (Robert DeNiro) in 1920s Oklahoma. The story follows these men as they attempt to establish both a familial and financial foothold within the Native American Osage nation. However, a collection of brutal murders of Osage tribe members brings chaos to the community. This is made worse as Ernest’s wife Mollie Burkhart (Lilly Gladstone) finds herself in a battle against her worsening diabetic condition. Revelations are made, and lives are taken throughout, leading to easily one of the most engaging and structurally intricate plots I’ve seen all year.

Read more: Movie Review: The Burial

While DeNiro and DiCaprio are both performing with the excellence one would expect from either of these Oscar winners, it is Lilly Gladstone who steals the film with her portrayal of Mollie Burkhart. She is completely intuned with her character, in multiple scenes, her subtle facial expressions create impactful emotional moments. This is highlighted in a later courtroom scene, where a forced smile contorts in a way that quickly tells audiences of her shifting perspective on the narrative taking place.

Scorsese has been a director whose work excels at pacing, and it is no different here, despite being over three hours long, I never once felt as though the narrative was dragging. Information is constantly being doled out to the audience at a rate that never leaves a scene without meaning or makes it overstay its welcome. Shots are edited together with precision, allowing emotions and ideas to naturally develop through both what is shown on the screen, as well as what is said. 

The cinematography done by Rodrigo Prieto is excellent. Shots use negative space in a way that forces audiences to focus on the subjects of each frame. The color pallet is accentuated with interesting uses of rustic browns, giving the film’s location a feeling of era-specific authenticity. Shots of Oklahoma fields and forests capture the contrast between blue skies, and green floral life in a way that is visually engaging. Lastly, indoor scenes allow the camera to pull in on its subjects, creating a feeling that is both homely and claustrophobic.

Killers of the Flower Moon is an outstanding addition to Scorsese’s filmography. It’s a film I have not stopped thinking about since I watched it almost a week ago, and even as I write this review, I plan on returning to the theater in order to view it once more. I encourage any filmgoer to take time out of their day, to catch what is easily one of this year’s best films.