Not the masterpiece I was expecting mainly because the leisurely pace overshadows all the good qualities. "Killers of the Flower Moon" is a tragic nonfiction murder tale that I was really looking forward to. My expectations were high, especially after Martin Scorsese's passionate rants about what qualifies as cinema. From a technical standpoint, almost every aspect of the movie was excellent. The visuals were stunning, the story had good intentions and emotional depth, the dialogue was well-crafted, and the acting was top-notch. Lily Gladstone truly shone in a cast that included Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, so it should have been a great film, right? However, there was absolutely no reason for it to be 3 hours and 30 minutes long. It felt like a real chore to sit through.
The movie had a slow pace, which would have been fine if it were around 2 hours long, but for a nearly 4-hour runtime, it simply wasn't engaging enough. I know that film enthusiasts and Scorsese fans who believe superheroes ruined cinema will likely praise this film, but as a regular moviegoer, it didn't resonate with me as much. Some people even walked out during the screening, but I stayed, hoping the movie would pick up later on. It got to the point where cinema staff had to wake up some people after it ended. The movie could have easily conveyed the same emotional depth and told the entire story in just 2 hours.
DiCaprio plays a villain, and although the extent of his villainy is slowly revealed in parts, De Niro is the mastermind behind the plot. There is some humor, the kind that might be frowned upon today but was likely just everyday conversation in the 1920s. The film had selective subtitles, and while more subtitles would have been helpful, maybe they didn't add much context to those scenes.
The movie lacked liveliness, high points, and because of that, it failed to engage the audience. While Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone were standout performers, I mostly remember DiCaprio for how much he frowned, second only to Karl Urban in "Dredd." I wasn't expecting to see a spanking scene either. The rest of the cast's performances were decent but not particularly memorable.
The film felt flat, with no real climaxes or peaks. It likely rides on the reputation of the big names associated with it. It's a profoundly emotional and tragic story, but the movie's extended runtime and lack of engagement overshadow the sadness and brutality of the narrative.
The movie had a slow pace, which would have been fine if it were around 2 hours long, but for a nearly 4-hour runtime, it simply wasn't engaging enough. I know that film enthusiasts and Scorsese fans who believe superheroes ruined cinema will likely praise this film, but as a regular moviegoer, it didn't resonate with me as much. Some people even walked out during the screening, but I stayed, hoping the movie would pick up later on. It got to the point where cinema staff had to wake up some people after it ended. The movie could have easily conveyed the same emotional depth and told the entire story in just 2 hours.
DiCaprio plays a villain, and although the extent of his villainy is slowly revealed in parts, De Niro is the mastermind behind the plot. There is some humor, the kind that might be frowned upon today but was likely just everyday conversation in the 1920s. The film had selective subtitles, and while more subtitles would have been helpful, maybe they didn't add much context to those scenes.
The movie lacked liveliness, high points, and because of that, it failed to engage the audience. While Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone were standout performers, I mostly remember DiCaprio for how much he frowned, second only to Karl Urban in "Dredd." I wasn't expecting to see a spanking scene either. The rest of the cast's performances were decent but not particularly memorable.
The film felt flat, with no real climaxes or peaks. It likely rides on the reputation of the big names associated with it. It's a profoundly emotional and tragic story, but the movie's extended runtime and lack of engagement overshadow the sadness and brutality of the narrative.