Brendan Fraser Takes Moviegoers by Surprise in 'Killers of the Flower Moon'

Fraser's performance is surprising and divisive, but movie buffs seem to love it.

By Michael Hein

Killers of the Flower Moon hit theaters last week, and for many fans, the breakout star is Brendan Fraser. After a major career comeback starting in 2021, Fraser joins the cast of this crime drama as attorney W. S. Hamilton. His performance caught some fans off guard and had many of them impressed.

Killers of the Flower Moon is a period piece set in the 1920s about a series of murders committed on the Osage Nation's Native American reservation after oil was discovered on their land. Reservation laws require a white man to act as "guardian" for the tribe's newfound wealth, and that is William "King" Hale (Robert De Niro). Hale seeks to get as much of that money for himself as possible, but his criminal schemes spiral out of his control. He is represented by Hamilton – a cutthroat lawyer and a surprisingly good fit for the traditionally charismatic Fraser.

Fraser's story has become somewhat infamous over the last few years – he largely retreated from Hollywood after 2008 due to family issues, his personal health and behind-the-scenes drama within the industry. Years later, Fraser revealed that he had been sexually assaulted by the then-president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Philip Berk. In addition to the strain on his health, Fraser suspected that his accusation of Berk put him on some sort of unspoken "blacklist" that kept him from getting work durin that decade, though he scaled that theory back in a 2019 interview.

Whatever the reason for his hiatus, Fraser's comeback has been a source of delight for movie fans over the last three years. His performance in Killers of the Flower Moon is no exception. Here's a look at what fans are saying.

Scene Stealer

Fraser joins the film late and has a limited amount of screen time, but fans agree that not a moment of it is wasted. While many acknowledged that their excitement was due in part to their love of Fraser in general, they still felt he brought a lot of energy to this brief role.

prevnext

Confusion

Some viewers were caught off guard by Fraser's performance – particularly because he makes a loud, boisterous entrance that seems like a tonal shift from the scenes that come before it.

prevnext

Defenders

On the other hand, many viewers defended that moment in the context of the rest of the film.

prevnext

'Dumb Boy'

To fans' delight, Fraser's dialogue is memorable and quotable on top of everything else.

prevnext

Accurate

If Fraser's performance seemed strange, his fans argued, it might be because he was portraying a very specific kind of person in a very unique circumstance.

prevnext

Memes

Fans were quick to express their love for Fraser in meme form.

prevnext

Subtle

Many fans felt that focusing on Fraser's delivery missed the point of his introductory scene, as the framing and composition of the moment did a lot of the heavy lifting to tell the story.

prev
0comments

Related:

Start the Conversation

of