On Friday, director and filmmaker Martin Scorsese released his latest theatrical project: a historical epic based on David Grann’s book “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
The film stretches on for more than three hours. Its tagline on IMDb reads, “When oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by one — until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery.”
Here’s a look at why “Killers of the Flower Moon” is rated R and what critics have said about the movie at this point.
‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ parents guide: What’s it rated and why?
MPAA rating: “Rated R for violence, some grisly images, and language,” per IMDb.
Violence: Multiple scenes of graphic violence, murder and death. Murder is both discussed and shown on the screen, and there are several scenes where characters face gruesome deaths with blood shown, according to IMDb.
Sex: No sex or nudity is shown on screen, though there is sexual dialogue. There is also discussion of sexual threat, per Common Sense Media.
Themes: In addition to numerous instances of violence, there are intense depictions of racism throughout the movie, including racist behavior, dialogue and a racial slur, according to Common Sense Media.
Profanity: Profane language is used, including swear words, racist language and objectifying language, per Common Sense Media.
‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ reviews
Here are five quotes from five reviews of the film.
- The New York Times — “A heartbreaking masterpiece”: “For his telling, Scorsese has drawn on assorted genres — the movie is at once a romance, a western, a domestic drama, a whodunit and, finally, a police procedural — that effortlessly mix, ebb and flow.”
- Roger Ebert — “A masterful historical drama”: “In the end, ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ is like a puzzle — each creative piece does its part to form the complete picture. When it’s put together, it’s depressingly easy to see the wolves. The question now is, what do we do when we find them?”
- The Guardian — “Masterful adaptation”: “And now, in Scorsese’s masterful adaptation of David Grann’s 2017 nonfiction book ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ there’s hapless Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio), the dull-edged nephew of machiavellian cattle rancher William Hale (a towering, treacherous Robert De Niro), the mastermind behind an epidemic of murders and a wholesale grab of land, resources and money.”
- America Magazine — “A film unlike anything he has ever done”: “(Scorsese) continues as an octogenarian to explore and expand the possibilities of the medium and scour his own soul. He has created, with the sweep of grand opera, a film unlike anything he has ever done.”
- The New Yorker — “(A) masterpiece is intent on not merely narrating history”: “There’s a way of looking at this movie, a colossal tale of the sociopathy of American history, that’s a matter of listening to what’s said and what isn’t. The movie raises the idea of silence to a nearly transcendent pitch of passion.”