On the cusp of a new decade, the Osage Reservation in Oklahoma becomes extraordinarily wealthy after oil erupts from the land. Within that shifting world, Ernest Burkhart—an influential young man, decorated veteran, and a sheriff’s deputy—enters the scene, drawn into the orbit of William Hale, a powerful local patriarch. He steps into a marriage with Molly Kyle, a member of one of the Osage’s wealthiest families, a union shaped by ambition and proximity to influence. Soon after, Molly’s sisters begin dying in disturbing sequence, along with other residents of the area. Yet the investigations that might unmask foul play never quite take hold in the local authorities.
Audiences discover a story so stark that it tests faith in humanity as deeply as any epic about human ingenuity or destruction. In 2019, when a different Scorsese drama had audiences debating its length and streaming strategy, the director found himself under scrutiny for juxtaposing his project with blockbuster franchises. The public conversation wandered through questions about distribution, prestige cinema, and the appetite for sprawling, ambitious cinema in a landscape crowded with medium and message alike.
By 2023, the terrain for a film this long had shifted. Theaters that chose to stage an intermission found themselves responding to a new normal, while a major studio aligned with a streaming giant to give the film a robust release, including immersive formats. The move signaled a broader shift in how audiences access major releases and how the industry monetizes them—favoring a staged, multi-platform rollout over a sudden, full-on streaming drop. The cultural chatter around epic cinema had grown teeth, with debates about genre, scale, and the responsibilities of high-profile filmmakers.
The film itself unfolds with a pace that feels both unrelenting and measured. It features a stellar ensemble led by celebrated performers who masterfully balance power, menace, and vulnerability. One actor’s portrayal of a morally compromised figure stands in stark relief to another’s intensely restrained performance, yielding a dynamic tension that anchors the entire narrative. The standout performance by Lily Gladstone captivates attention, revealing a depth and nuance that elevates the film beyond its procedural framework. As wealth flows into a funnel that concentrates power, the movie’s broader commentary on exploitation and ambition becomes evident, even as screen time is shared amongst a formidable cast.
Viewed as a single, expansive work, the film can feel like a sweeping meditation on loss, greed, and the costs of systemic wrongdoing. The score—carried by a guitarist whose work has long shaped the film’s emotional landscape—reaches into memory, echoing themes of corruption and endurance. The production remains a sharp lens on how a society built on legal and moral pretenses can overlook grievous harm inflicted on Indigenous communities. The central questions extend beyond personal betrayal, inviting viewers to reflect on the mechanisms by which oil, money, and power reshape a people’s fate. What conclusions emerge from this reflection? The narrative offers a somber reminder that some chapters are not closed with a simple verdict or a tidy ending; they linger, prompting ongoing dialogue and accountability.