Killers of the Flower Moon Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Killers of the Flower Moon Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 28, 2026

Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon" (2023) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the release include recent program with cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto;footage from the Cannes Film Festival; cast and crew interviews; promotional materials; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. Region-A "locked".

Money and wealth have always attracted bad characters, willing to do very bad things to acquire them. This is not an American phenomenon. It is a universal phenomenon that will remain relevant for as long as money and wealth are linked to power. This is what makes both enormously attractive. They are liberating, too. However, their ability to liberate is an extension of their power to make things happen. The more money and wealth one has, the freer one is to live one’s life as they choose.

But in the annals of history, there are plenty of stories about very rich people who were not free to live their lives as they wanted. In the 1920s, the Osage people were the richest of them all. In Oklahoma, after their land began producing liquid gold, the Osage people almost instantly became targets for various bad characters, and the more their fortunes grew, the more restricted and miserable their lives became. Many Osage people died prematurely due to ‘tragic’ circumstances as well.

Based on David Grann’s novel, Martin Scorsese’s film Killers of the Flower Moon goes back in time to deliver a historically accurate reconstruction of this exact period when the Osage people became targets because their land had made them very rich. Killers of the Flower Moon is more than three and a half hours long, combining mini tales of deception, misery, abuse, theft, and murder. It creates room for love, too. However, very little of it is of the conventional kind, and most of it is overpowered by love for money and wealth.

Virtually all events in Killers of the Flower Moon are seen through the eyes of and rationalized by two characters, neither of whom is Osage. The first, Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio), is an Army vet who returns home to Oklahoma, where he intends to start a new chapter in his life, but without a specific plan. The second, William Hale (Robert De Niro), is Burkhart’s elderly uncle, who has successfully inserted himself into the Osage Nation, pulling many different strings to grow his already substantial wealth. In two-thirds of Killers of the Flower Moon, Burkhart is used as a flawed moral barometer, who registers the true nature of some of the awful developments around him, but then becomes an active participant in them. Hale is the catalyst of the awful developments, routinely rationalizing their necessity through deceptive speeches and lies.

The only character representing the Osage people in a comparable, intimate, meaningful way is Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone), who eventually marries Burkhart. She is designated as the primary recipient of the bad that has become an inseparable element of the Osage people’s existence.

The sum of the mini tales is a frustrating film. While often looking impressive, it is difficult not to describe it as a one-dimensional period crime drama that focuses on the wrong characters and, perhaps most importantly, the wrong culture. Its centerpiece is Hale, a vicious psychopath obsessed with growing his wealth, whom De Niro plays in much the same way he has played numerous gangsters in the past. Here, he only looks significantly older and frequently struggles with a fake Southern accent. Burkhart is permanently stuck in his orbit, greatly influenced by his manipulative actions and power, proving the popular adage about money and evil right.

The Osage people and their culture are an ornament. Even the ones Burkhart’s wife is related to are instantly forgettable characters because their only purpose is to reveal how easy it is for the star of Killers of the Flower Moon to manipulate or eliminate them, which is established very, very early. Their culture is fitted into a few rituals and several rather tacky speeches that, perhaps unsurprisingly again, do plenty to further prop up Hale.

The other big and unmissable issue is the length of the combined mini tales. Killers of the Flower Moon is a very long film, and it does not feel like it needs to be. Multiple areas of it feature problematic edits, leaving the impression that it had to be made as long as possible because its primary destination was Apple’s streaming platform, Apple TV+.

Killers of the Flower Moon Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Killers of the Flower Moon arrives on Blu-rat courtesy of Criterion.

Killers of the Flower Moon is also made available on 4K Blu-ray in this combo pack release. I viewed it in its entirety on 4K Blu-ray and later spent time with its 1080p presentation on the Blu-ray.

The overall quality of the visuals ranges from excellent to outstanding. While this should not be surprising considering that Killers of the Flower Moon was completed just a few years ago, I still think that the consistency of the presentation is impressive. Many of the outdoor sequences, for instance, can easily be used as 'reference material'. Also, color reproduction is great. On my system, the 4K presentation revealed a slightly more vibrant, richer range of colors, but the 1080p presentation is equally satisfying. Image stability is exceptional. I did not notice any encoding anomalies to report in our review. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Killers of the Flower Moon Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this release: English Dolby Atmos. A Descriptive Dolby Digital 5.1 track is included as well. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided. English subtitles appear on all exchanges where Osage is spoken.

I viewed Killers of the Flower Moon on 4K Blu-ray and later spent time with its 1080p presentation on this Blu-ray release. The comments below are from our review of the combo pack release.

The audio is sharp, clear, and impeccably balanced. During the action footage -- shootouts, explosions, etc. -- dynamic contrasts and intensity are excellent, as well. Obviously, this should not be surprising considering that the soundtrack was created very recently. However, this should not be an excuse not to recognize its tremendous strength. I did not encounter any anomalies to report.

Killers of the Flower Moon Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Killers of the Flower Moon": A Historic Collaboration - this program focuses on the conception of production of Killers of the Flower Moon. Included in it are interviews with Marty Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, author David Grann, and Osage Nation Principal Chief Geoffrey Standig Bear, amongst others. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (37 min).

• "Wahzgazge": A Song for the Osage - in this program, Martin Scorsese, Geoffrey Standig Bear, and several members of the Osage Nation reflect on the final shot in Killers of the Flower Moon. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (34 min).

• Rodrigo Prieto - in this excerpted program, cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto discusses his work on Killers of the Flower Moon with Glenn Kiser, host of the podcast Dolby Creator Talks. The program was filmed in 2024. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (25 min).

• Cannes Press Conference - this program gathers excerpts from the Cannes Film Festival press conference following the world premiere of Killers of the Flower Moon. Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, and Chief Geoffrey Standig Bear comment on the film. In English, not subtitled. (30 min).

• Cover Art - this short promotional video features Osage artist Noah Kemohah, whose original work appears in theatrical posters for Killers of the Flower Moon, as well as on the cover of this release. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (1 min).

• Trailer - presented here is an original trailer for Killers of the Flower Moon. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (3 min).

• Booklet - an illustrated booklet featuring essay by by critic Vinson Cunningham and film programmer Adam Piron, as well as technical credits.

Killers of the Flower Moon Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Killers of the Flower Moon brings a good, important story that needed to be told to a large audience. However, its retelling is underwhelming because the Osage people and their culture are just an ornament in it. The true stars of this story are Ernest Burkhart and William Hale, and what they do and how they get away with it, or at least for a while, many other, better films have already shown. Also, even though it produces many striking visuals, Killers of the Flower Moon is incredibly difficult to compare to Martin Scorsese's masterpieces because it has the appearance and identity of a streaming production. RECOMMENDED only to the fans.