Martin Scorsese’s acclaimed drama Killers of the Flower Moon secured seven nominations at the 2024 Golden Globe Awards. The movie is a critical success and a major talking point among movie buffs over the last month, though it was not a big earner at the box office. As award season gets started, accolades like this could vindicate the film.
Killers of the Flower Moon is entered in the Golden Globes in the drama category, and it is nominated for “best motion picture – drama” on its own. All six other nominations go to specific people for their role in craeting the film. Scorsese himself has two nominations: one for best director of a motion picture and another for best screenplay, which he shares with co-writer Eric Roth. Meanwhile, Lily Gladstone is nominated for best performance by a female actor in motion picture drama, while Leonardo DiCaprio is nominated for best performance by a male actor.
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Robert De Niro is also nominated for “best performance by a male actor in a supporting role in any motion picture.” Finally, the last nomination goes to Robbie Robertson for “best original score – motion picture.”
Killers of the Flower Moon is a western crime drama based on real-life events, and it uses the 2017 book by David Grann as its primary source. It is about the discovery of oil on the land given to the Osage Nation, and a series of murders carried out by white people to try and seize control of the valuable asset. Gladstone plays Mollie Kyle, a member of the Osage Nation, while De Niro plays William King Hale, a local ranch owner trying to gain control of the oil rights through political technicalities and ruthless contract killings. He coaxes his nephew, Ernest (DiCaprio) into courting Mollie in order to gain access to the familial rights.
The movie was hotly anticipated by movie buffs – particularly long-time Scorsese fans – and it was beloved by critics and film festival audiences. However, when it premiered for general audiences, it did not meet expectations – the movie had a $200 million production budget but it only earned $156.3 million at the box office worldwide. It also inspired some fierce discourse among Native American communities, historians and political pundits.
Hopefully, award season can help improve the movie’s standing and maybe even inspire some more people to see it. Killers of the Flower Moon is streaming now on PVOD stores. The Golden Globes will air live on Sunday, Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. ET. It will broadcast on CBS and stream on Paramount+.
