Martin Scorsese’s The Killers Of The Flower Moon is a moody, atmospheric exploration of a shocking true crime tale.

The much-anticipated film chronicles the events leading up to a series of murders that took place in Osage County, Oklahoma, during the early 1920s.

Lily Gladstone plays Mollie, an Osage woman who marries Leonardo DiCaprio’s Ernest Burkhart who, along with his uncle Bill Hale (Robert De Niro), wants to claim the Osage’s oil-rich land. 

What were the Osage murders?

The Killers Of The Flower Moon is Apple Studios’ adaptation of journalist David Grann’s non-fiction book of the same name, and it explores a string of brutal murders that came to be known as the ‘Reign of Terror’.

An almost forgotten chapter in American history, the victims in this story are the Native American people of the Osage tribe who, after being forced from their homelands and almost exterminated, signed a treaty with the US government in 1865 that allowed them to purchase patches of inhospitable land in north-east Oklahoma.

In 1894, though, crude oil was discovered under the land, and the Osage became incredibly wealthy almost overnight. Then, one by one, the Osage began to die under violent or mysterious circumstances.

Why was Mollie Kyle’s marriage doomed?

As the death toll climbed higher and higher, the FBI joined forces with a former Texas Ranger, Tom White, to unravel the mystery. And together, they exposed one of the most chilling conspiracies in American history; a crime ring led by rancher William Hale (Robert De Niro) had set upon murdering the Osage in order to obtain their wealth.

The plot was far darker than even that, though. Due to the aforementioned treaty, it was only by marrying into the tribe that the rights could be legally claimed by outsiders – so Hale had his nephew, Ernest, marry Mollie Kyle, a full-blooded Osage.

As detailed by Grann in his book, Hale then arranged for the murders of Mollie’s sisters, her brother-in-law, her mother, and her cousin, Henry Roan – and Mollie inherited all of their wealth as a result.

When investigators eventually caught on to the cold-blooded plot, they discovered that Mollie was already being poisoned. Thankfully, she recovered, and after the trial, divorced her murderous husband. Her children inherited all of her estate when she died of unrelated causes in 1937.

What do we know about Martin Scorsese’s film adaptation?

As mentioned already, Scorsese joined forces with Apple Original Films to adapt Grann’s book for the silver screen, and he met with Osage Nation’s Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear to ensure the project was handled sensitively, too.

“When I read David Grann’s book, I immediately started seeing it – the people, the settings, the action – and I knew that I had to make it into a movie,” said Scorsese of the project.

“I’m so excited to be working with Eric Roth and reuniting with Leo DiCaprio to bring this truly unsettling American story to the screen.”

Standing Bear added: “We want to make sure [Scorsese’s] people have everything they need, in terms of Osage artisans, Osage language … those people are still here in the community and would love to help.

“We are very thankful you are here and that you are willing to tell this story.”

Who stars in The Killers Of The Flower Moon?

Joining DiCaprio, De Niro and Gladstone are Jesse Plemons, William Belleau, Louis Cancelmi, Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson, as well as indigenous actors Tantoo Cardinal, Cara Jade Myers, Jillian Dion, and JaNae Collins.

It is also worth noting that, as reported by Vanity Fair, the talented Gladstone is of First Nation heritage and “lived until she was 11 on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana”.

“I consider it a true gift and great responsibility to be trusted with Mollie Burkhart, and will hold her preciously with both arms, close to my heart,” said Gladstone, when her role in the film was made public. 

“My most profound thanks to Osage Nation, it is a remarkable gift to be welcomed by you, and to be able to tell this story.”

Where to watch The Killers Of The Flower Moon 

The Killers Of The Flower Moon is available to stream on Apple TV+ now

Images: Apple Studios