Is ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ based on a true story? How much of it is actually true?

“Killers of the Flower Moon” has emerged as one of the top contenders for the 96th Academy Awards. Martin Scorsese’s film ranks as the third most nominated feature at the gala with 10 considerations, including the prestigious ‘Best Picture’ category. The most nominated film is “Oppenheimer” with 13 nominations, followed by “Poor Things” with 12, both also vying for Best Picture.

Is “Killers of the Flower Moon” based on a true story?

Like most of its competitors, “Killers of the Flower Moon” recounts a series of real events. The film is based on David Grann’s best-selling book, “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI.”

The best-seller is a work of investigative journalism that narrates the story of the Osage Native Americans in Oklahoma, who possessed one of the largest oil reserves of the time. Due to the wealth of the area, the Osage people quickly became the wealthiest individuals in the United States. As their wealth grew, members of the community mysteriously began to turn up dead. This case led to the establishment of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

“It was thought that this land had no value. It was rocky and infertile. But then, they discovered one of the largest oil deposits in the country. And the Osage became the richest people in the world,” explained the author of the investigation to the BBC.

In particular, Grann’s investigation focuses on the story of Mollie Burkhart, a Native American woman who became the primary target of the ambitious conspirators.

“This woman moved into a mansion, married a white man, and began to speak English. Members of her family were the primary targets of a conspiracy to kill them... It was a conspiracy involving doctors helping to poison the Osage; funeral home employees covering up the murders; journalists who refused to write about the deaths; law enforcement officers who were directly complicit in the deaths or indifferent to them because they were indigenous and the system didn’t care,” asserted the author.

Who is in the cast for Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon”?

Scorsese’s film boasts an A-list cast. Robert De Niro portrays William Hale, one of the accused perpetrators of fraudulent contracts against the indigenous people, while Leonardo DiCaprio plays Ernest Burkhart, Hale’s nephew and husband of Mollie Burkhart, portrayed by Lily Gladstone. Jesse Plemons also joins the cast as FBI agent Tom White.

While there are still a few days left until the ceremony, the film has already made history by securing the first two nominations for Native Americans: Lily Gladstone for Best Actress and Scott George for Best Original Song.

All the nominations for Best Picture

A total of 10 films are nominated in the Best Picture category. Below is the complete list of the feature films vying for the most prestigious golden statue of the night.

Leading up to the ceremony, many have ventured to make their predictions across all the categories, with critics and film websites seemingly aligning on several frontrunners for the coveted Oscar accolades. But we won’t know for sure until Sunday night.