One flaw prevents Killers of the Flower Moon from achieving perfection

All of the ingredients are there. An on-form Leonardo DiCaprio, a menacing Robert Di Niro and a heartwrenching performance from Lily Gladstone set Killers of the Flower Moon well on its way to five-star territory – but Martin Scorsese’s fatal flaw rears its head just at the wrong time.

Make no mistake about it – this is yet another magnificent piece of cinema. We have been treated to quite the year so far, and the legendary Scorsese was never going to let us down with his latest screenplay. Nearly fifty years on from his Taxi Driver masterpiece, he is still blowing the vast majority of modern filmmakers out of the park.

The way he nudges us into a story is phenomenal. Within minutes, we are engrossed in the world of the Osage people, watching on with glued eyes as they dance around fountains of oil gushing from the ground. From there on in, we are hooked.

For the first two thirds of the movie, not a second is wasted. Every single conversation is expertly crafted, exploring the complicated relationships between our main characters, while the corrupt world of the early 1900s is set up brilliantly. Ulterior motives, power struggles and tales of heartbreak grip us.

However, there’s one small snag that comes with these three-and-a-half hour behemoths of Scorsese’s – he can struggle to find a way into the final act. He failed to clear this hurdle with 2019’s The Irishman, and even the legendary GoodFellas suffers somewhat with the same problem.

In Killers of the Flower Moon, the slight downturn effectively coincides with the first appearance of reigning Oscar winner Brendan Fraser, who appears to be doing his best to make us forget about his redemption by putting on what appears to be an embarrassing impression of a Marvel Cinematic Universe character just when it is least needed.

The movie begins to meander slowly towards an unclear final destination, unsure how to reach it – therefore creating a half-hour section that probably could have been left on the cutting room floor. Only then do you really start to feel that the film drags.

That is the only (minor) problem with these epic crime dramas of Scorsese’s. By not sticking to traditional plot beats, it can be difficult to find an entry point to conclude the story. However, as has always been the case, once the director finds the track again, he rounds things off in style.

This may sound harsh, but it is necessary to explain as it is the only thing preventing the movie from standing shoulder to shoulder with his other greats. Everything else is close to flawless.

This is a stunning period piece which transports you back to an almost unimaginable time, when things were downright primitive compared to the modern day. It is methodical and well-crafted throughout.

DiCaprio has well and truly asserted himself as one of the greats of his generation. He shines as the simple and yet greedy and malicious Ernest Burkhart, his horseshoe grimace drawing our eyes in like a magnet. He commands the set.

De Niro, meanwhile, shows he is still well and truly at the top of his game with a sinister turn as William King Hale. Very, very few actors have the power to do what this legend can, conveying a barrel load of sheer evil with nothing more than his eyes.

At times, he does little else apart from sit and stare around a scene – but is still able to pierce everything his gaze falls upon. This is a master of his craft at work.

Gladstone shines particularly brightly as Mollie Burkhart in the first half of the movie. She switches seamlessly between a joyful wife to Ernest and a grieving sibling; her screams at losing her sisters, mother and, later, child, are haunting. It is another special performance, which she rounds off in a more quiet and reflective fashion as the movie progresses.

Robbie Roberton, with what ended up being his final work before passing away, produced a fitting score which suits Killers of the Flower Moon down to a tee. At times, such as when the Osage people first discover oil lurking beneath their land, it sounds joyful and triumphant as the they celebrate finding the black gold.

At others, the guitar strings sound just as haunting as De Niro’s eyes look, playing into the dark undertones which lurk throughout the film. The music rarely takes precedent, but serves the story perfectly.

The whole ordeal looks, sounds and feels the part. Scorsese is well within his right to promote movies like this as being head and shoulders above, for example, the superhero genre – the latest project in his long line of smash hits is testament to the power of original and creative stories.

Things are heating up for what will surely be one of the most tightly-contested Oscars ceremonies in recent memories. One of the industry’s greatest directors will be right in the running once again, and his talented cast won’t be far behind.

Rating: ★★★★☆