Never take Martin Scorsese for granted. One of the greatest living American filmmakers still directs entertaining and thought-provoking films at 81. His latest film, Killers of the Flower Moon, might be his most personal project. Based on David Grann’s 2017 book of the same name, Killers of the Flower Moon depicts the murders of Osage Nation members in the 1920s and the subsequent investigation by the FBI to end the reign of terror. The cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone.
Killers of the Flower Moon received critical acclaim, resulting in 10 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress (Gladstone), and Best Director (Scorsese). If you enjoyed Killers of the Flower Moon, watch these three similar films. Our picks include 1991’s Best Picture winner, a polarizing Scorsese project from the early 2000s, and a masterpiece from the Coen Brothers.
Dances with Wolves (1990)
I recognize the irony in recommending Dances with Wolves, the film that famously won Best Picture over Goodfellas, with Kevin Costner beating Scorsese in the directing category. Two things can be true: Goodfellas should have won, and Dances with Wolves is a good movie still worth watching. Costner’s epic follows Lt. John Dunbar (Costner), a Civil War hero stationed on a deserted camp on the western frontier. While running his outpost, Dunbar encounters a tribe from the Sioux Nation.
Over time, Dunbar becomes an ally of the tribe as he learns their language and takes up the name “Dances With Wolves.” Dunbar even falls in love with a white woman in the tribe, Stands with a Fist (Mary McDonnell). Despite his respect for the Sioux Nation, Dunbar’s fellow Union soldiers don’t share the same viewpoints, forcing Dunbar to choose between his former company and his new tribe.
Stream Dances with Wolves on MGM+ or AMC+.
Gangs of New York (2002)
You can’t go wrong by scheduling a Scorsese double feature. Instead of picking one of the usual suspects – Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, The Departed, or The Wolf of Wall Street – revisit one of his more polarizing films, Gangs of New York. Both Killers of the Flower Moon and Gangs of New York feature violent depictions of a divided America, with issues of race, class, and politics at the forefront.
Set in 1860s New York City, Irish immigrant Amsterdam Vallon (Leonardo DiCaprio) heads to the section of Lower Manhattan known as the Five Points to exact his revenge on his father’s killer, William “Bill the Butcher” Cutting (Daniel Day-Lewis). Bill and his gang use their power and influence to have a stranglehold over every cop and politician in the area. To exact his revenge, Amsterdam must assimilate with Bill’s gang and earn the Butcher’s trust before executing an assassination plan. While Gangs of New York has flaws, Day-Lewis’ performance as Bill the Butcher is undeniable, and Scorsese’s depiction of 1860s New York is superb.
Stream Gangs of New York on Max.
No Country for Old Men (2007)
If you want more Westerns, look no further than No Country for Old Men, which is the likely candidate for the best Western of the 21st century. Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) is out hunting when he comes across a drug deal gone haywire, with multiple dead bodies left behind and a briefcase containing $2 million in cash. It’s too huge of a score for Moss to pass up, so he takes the money and leaves the scene. Ruthless hitman Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) is hired to kill Moss and retrieve the briefcase.
Meanwhile, Sheriff Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) races to catch and protect Moss before Chigurh kills him. Based on Cormac McCarthy’s 2005 novel, No Country for Old Men is an enthralling crime thriller from the Coen Brothers featuring a tour-de-force performance from Bardem, cementing Chigurh as one of the best villains of all time.
Stream No Country for Old Men on Paramount+.
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