‘Killers Of The Flower Moon’ Should Have Won Best Picture, Not ‘Oppenheimer’

When Killers Of The Flower Moon first released in theaters and then later on Apple TV, I found the runtime and the subject matter too daunting. A three-and-a-half hour movie about the murders of Osage tribe members based on a true story about oil and greed sounded fascinating—and depressing. Sometimes, when you struggle with depression, a depressing movie is less appealing.

I did, however, go see Oppenheimer in theaters and walked away with incredibly mixed feelings. As a fan of Christopher Nolan’s films, I wasn’t surprised by the strange, non-chronological format used to tell Oppenheimer’s story, but I’m still not sure that it worked. (I called it a “haunting, muddled biopic” in my review). There’s no doubt it was a brilliant piece of cinema, and Cillian Murphy’s performance was outstanding. Still, I left the theater underwhelmed.

Both films are based on true events, each dealing with complex histories and people, epic in scope and runtime, and both great movies in their own right. If any two films in the 2024 Academy Awards running for Best Picture ought to be examined side-by-side, it’s these two, each from acclaimed directors and each boasting incredibly talented casts and crew. But after watching Killers of the Flower Moon—which was shut out entirely at the Academy Awards by Oppenheimer—it’s clear to me that the better film was snubbed.

I finally got around to watching Killers of the Flower Moon over the Christmas break. Despite its long runtime, I found myself utterly absorbed from start to finish. Absorbed and horrified. It’s a long movie but it didn’t feel like it. I was too engrossed by the story and characters to notice time passing.

Based on the book by David Grann, Martin Scorsese’s film tackles one of the most troubling conspiracies in the history of the American West. When the Osage tribe finds oil on their land, they become extremely wealthy overnight—the wealthiest people per capita in the entire world. But the government assigns “guardians” to manage their money, the first of many exploitative acts that would begin to eat away at the Osage people, not just draining them of their newfound wealth but breaking their spirit along the way. Robbery and theft and flagrant murders follow.

The film follows Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) who returns from WWI to work for his uncle, William Hale (Robert De Niro) a wealthy rancher in Oklahoma who proclaims that the Osage are “the most beautiful people in the world” and makes great public shows of his support for the tribe. Hale encourages Burkhart to marry an Osage woman, Mollie (Lily Gladstone) because she has full-blood land rights, making her—and whoever inherits her estate—wildly rich. Ernest is neither particularly smart nor particularly scrupulous, and he’s easily manipulated by his uncle, the “King of Osage Hills.”

The story unfolds under the shadow of the nearby 1921 Tulsa race massacre, and the Osage become increasingly worried as more and more of their people are shot to death or die of mysterious, unexplained illnesses or “suicide.” What happened to the African Americans in Tulsa in one brutal attack was playing out slowly and insidiously in Osage. None of the deaths are investigated, and when the tribe brings in their own private investigators, they’re murdered as well. I won’t spoil where the story goes from here, but it’s both gripping and terrible. The depravity of human greed at its most despicable and depraved on full display. By the end, I was left in tears.

DiCaprio and De Niro put in tremendous performances. I don’t think I’ve ever despised a character either has played so utterly. The only other DiCaprio villain that comes close was his role as Calvin Candie in Django Unchained, but there’s something almost cartoonish about Tarantino’s villain. Burkhart’s wickedness is more intimate, more complex, more human. That he’s based on a historical person guilty of these terrible crimes and injustices only deepens the disgust you feel toward him, even as you cling to hope that he’ll do the right thing.

Lily Gladstone is equally terrific in her Oscar-worthy role as Mollie Burkhart. Where DiCaprio is brash and wild and uncouth, Gladstone is understated, filled with a deep sadness but also a well of light and humor. The tragedy that befalls her and her family is so enormous, it’s almost incomprehensible. Gladstone captures it all, all the pain and all the hope, in her performance.

If there is anything I wish we’d seen more of in Killers Of The Flower Moon, it would be the Bureau of Investigation’s actual investigation, which is largely glossed over in the third act of the film. I understand why. The story is focused primarily on the events surrounding these two families. The investigation and trial ultimately play second fiddle. The runtime would either have to drastically increase or a great deal of Ernest and Mollie’s story would need to be cut. Neither would have been ideal. Still, I can envision a different movie that treated this story as more of a mystery told from the point of view of former Texas Ranger Tom White (Jesse Plemons) and his team of undercover agents. Whether it would have been as good or compelling or tragic is another question. In the end, I’m glad Scorsese chose to tell a more personal story.

That’s largely the same choice Nolan made with Oppenheimer, focusing mostly on the life of the brilliant scientist rather than his own trial. Where that movie foundered was in its insistence on telling the story out of order, giving us bits and pieces of Oppenheimer’s trial and Lewis Strauss’s (Robert Downey Jr.) betrayal of Oppenheimer scattered throughout the film in an attempt to give the story a “twist.” That twist felt more jarring than effective. The “mystery-puzzle” format Nolan is so fond of, and so good at using most of the time, was unnecessary here. Where Killers Of The Flower Moon focuses on character, Oppenheimer focuses on plot. This isn’t to say that Oppenheimer failed to make me feel anything—it was deeply unsettling—but it still left me cold, whereas Killers Of The Flower Moon left me shattered and furious.

Killers Of The Flower Moon is available to stream on Apple TV. Check out my list of Best TV Shows Of 2024 right here. Two of Nolan’s best sci-fi films also just landed on Netflix if you’re looking for more movies to add to your queue.

I’m catching up on all the 2024 Best Picture nominees. Next up: Poor Things, which won a Best Actress Oscar for Emma Stone.

What did you think of Killers of the Flower Moon and Oppenheimer? Let me know on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.