Killers of the Flower Moon

Set in 1920s Oklahoma, Killers of the Flower Moon chronicles the reign of terror inflicted upon the Osage Nation after immense oil reserves were discovered beneath their reservation land. Overnight, tribal members became among the wealthiest individuals per capita in the world, holding collective subterranean headrights that could not be sold—only inherited. This windfall attracted white opportunists, swindlers, and businessmen eager to siphon Osage wealth through predatory conservatorships, fraudulent intermarriages, and insidious violence.

Returning from World War I with little ambition and empty pockets, Ernest Burkhart arrives in Fairfax to work for his wealthy, charismatic uncle William "King" Hale, a civic benefactor and self-proclaimed friend to the Osage. Urged by his uncle to ingratiate himself with the local Osage elite, Ernest begins driving and courting Mollie Kyle, an Osage woman of remarkable poise whose family controls significant oil headrights.

As Ernest and Mollie wed and start a family, a succession of mysterious illnesses, execution-style shootings, and unexplained deaths strikes Mollie’s immediate family and the wider Osage community. With local law enforcement compromised, corrupt, or indifferent, Mollie and tribal elders journey to Washington to plead for intervention, precipitating a federal investigation that gradually closes in on the heart of Osage County.

Director Martin Scorsese sought to deconstruct the myth of the American frontier by exposing the institutionalized extraction and moral decay that underpinned settler expansion. Rather than portraying the atrocities as the work of rogue outlaws, the film demonstrates that genocide and exploitation were normalized, polite, and embedded in daily commerce, church life, and marriage vows.

Through Ernest's moral cowardice and Hale's sociopathic paternalism, Scorsese explores pathological compartmentalization: how ordinary, smiling people can convince themselves they care for someone while participating in their calculated destruction. Ultimately, the film implicates the audience and cinema itself, demonstrating how Indigenous suffering has historically been mined, sensationalized, and repackaged for mass entertainment.

Debate centers around the authenticity of Ernest Burkhart's feelings toward Mollie. One interpretation views Ernest as experiencing genuine cognitive dissonance: he truly loved Mollie and their children, but possessed such profound intellectual and moral deficiency that he compartmentalized his affection from the murders. An alternative interpretation views Ernest as a purely predatory sociopath whose domestic warmth was entirely performative to keep Mollie pacified while orchestrating her demise.

The film catalyzed a major historical reckoning by bringing the Osage Reign of Terror (1921–1926)—an atrocity omitted from Oklahoma school curriculums for decades—into widespread global consciousness.

It also set a benchmark for Indigenous representation in major studio cinema by employing hundreds of Native craftspeople and actors. Lily Gladstone made history as the first Native American to win the Golden Globe for Best Actress and to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Critically, alongside revisionist Westerns such as Unforgiven, the film deconstructs the classic American Western genre by rejecting romanticized gunfights in favor of an examination of bureaucratic corruption, legal fraud, and corporate land theft. It debuted at Cannes to a nine-minute standing ovation, secured 10 Oscar nominations, and grossed over $157 million worldwide.

The film received widespread acclaim, particularly for Lily Gladstone's performance, which was hailed as the emotional anchor of the story for conveying immense grief and dignity through stillness and micro-expressions. Critics also praised the deliberate subversion of the "white savior" trope, as well as Rodrigo Prieto’s cinematography, Robbie Robertson’s atmospheric score, and Thelma Schoonmaker’s editing.

Conversely, some viewers found the 206-minute runtime and deliberate procedural pacing exhausting. Certain Indigenous commentators, including language consultant Christopher Cote, noted that the narrative still allocated the majority of screen time to the white conspirators rather than the Osage community. Additionally, Brendan Fraser's theatrical turn as attorney W.S. Hamilton generated polarized reactions, though Scorsese defended the performance as historically fitting.