Killers of the Flower Moon is one of the many gems that 2023 brought us, and its moment of glory is not yet over, as it still awaits its run at the 2024 Oscars, where it has nominations in several categories.
This morning, it was confirmed that it has also earned the title of being the most-watched film on Apple TV+ worldwide, surpassing other original productions like The Family Plan with Mark Wahlberg and Greyhound with Tom Hanks.
Martin Scorsese directed the drama starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone. Eric Roth and the filmmaker himself adapted the screenplay based on the book written by David Grann.
Killers of the Flower Moon is the most-watched movie on Apple TV+
Killers of the Flower Moon has become one of the most-watched films on Apple TV+, as had been anticipated for the past few weeks. The Oscar-nominated drama holds the top spot in the worldwide top 10.
According to Flix Patrol, a specialized metrics site, the thriller has managed to surpass other major original titles on the streaming giant, claiming the number 1 position on the podium. The popular story is based on a 2017 non-fiction book.
“The Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI” was a success among its readers, and after a few years, the adaptation landed in the hands of one of the most acclaimed directors in the industry: Martin Scorsese.
His work on the project marked the sixth cinematic collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio, the tenth with Robert De Niro, and the eleventh with Robbie Robertson, who passed away two months before the film’s release.
The plot is set in the 1920s in the United States and follows members of the Osage tribe who are murdered under mysterious circumstances, triggering a significant FBI investigation involving J. Edgar Hoover.
How many Oscar nominations did the film have?
The latest film from the acclaimed director managed to secure 10 nominations at the 2024 Academy Awards, which will take place on Sunday, March 10. Killers of the Flower Moon led to Lily Gladstone joining the list of actresses nominated for the first time.
Here, check all the nominations and their respective candidates:
- Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score) – Robbie Robertson.
- Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song) – Scott George for “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)”.
- Best Motion Picture of the Year – Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas, Martin Scorsese and Daniel Lupi.
- Best Achievement in Directing – Martin Scorsese.
- Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role – Lily Gladstone.
- Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role – Robert De Niro.
- Best Achievement in Cinematography – Rodrigo Prieto.
- Best Achievement in Film Editing – Thelma Schoonmaker.
- Best Achievement in Production Design – Jack Fisk and Adam Willis.
- Best Achievement in Costume Design – Jacqueline West.
What did the critics say about the drama?
The critics not only had kind words for Killers of the Flower Moon and its cast but also praised it on more than one occasion, highlighting the performances, staging, deep storytelling, and its development. Major media outlets wasted no time in publishing their reviews and here are some of the most read…
Richard Brody of The New Yorker: “Scorsese presents the marriage story, the story of love, as an absolute—something that is set apart from cultural, historical, and political particulars and that has the supreme power of religious faith. It is a commitment that extends even to extremes of self-abnegation and self-sacrifice, and that resounds with a fearsome silent thunder when that faith is renounced. The scene of that break is among the most devastating in Scorsese’s career”.
Wendy Ide of The Guardian: “Just when you think it’s about to settle into the familiar tropes of the crime investigation procedural, Scorsese pulls a final sleight of hand. A bracingly audacious scene, featuring a brief cameo from the director himself, makes the point that it’s not just the land and its resources that were pillaged from the Native American people, but the culture and their stories as well. Including this one”.
Brian Tallerico from Robert Ebert’s site: “‘Can you find the wolves in this picture,’ Ernest Burkhardt reads aloud as he works his way through a children’s book early in Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers of the Flower Moon.’ The wolves aren’t really hidden at all, and they won’t be in the film that follows either, a masterful historical drama about evil operating in plain sight. One of the most disturbing things about Scorsese’s ambitious adaptation of David Grann’s non-fiction book of the same name is how little of its vile behavior stays in the shadows”.
Brady Langmann of Esquire: “If you’re willing to stop obsessing over its three-plus-hour runtime, you’ll realize that Scorsese actually demonstrated great restraint—and that Flower Moon is one of the greatest films he’s ever made as a result”.