Jodie Foster: Scorsese’s Killers Of The Flower Moon Better Suited As Streaming Series

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Jodie Foster believes Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon might have been more effective as a streaming series. The film tells the true story of the Osage Nation, whose members were tragically killed after oil was found on their land. Despite its length, the movie received very positive reviews, earning a 93% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Jodie Foster, while accepting an award at the Marrakech International Film Festival, shared her thoughts on the rise of streaming. After working on the fourth season of True Detective, she’s come to appreciate the advantages of streaming series, particularly in the current U.S. media landscape. Here’s what she had to say:

Streaming services are now pushing the boundaries of storytelling in ways traditional movies can’t. While big-budget superhero films dominate theaters, the most compelling and innovative stories are actually being told through streaming platforms.

Long-form storytelling, like eight-hour series or shows that run for five seasons, lets you really dive deep into a story and explore every possible side of it – something you just can’t do with a movie. That creative freedom is what I really enjoy.

Foster suggested that Killers of the Flower Moon would have worked better as a longer, limited series—around eight hours long. She explained that the series format would have allowed for a more balanced story, preventing it from focusing so heavily on the characters played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. This would have given the Indigenous characters, and their stories, more prominence before their deaths.

He was interested in understanding what life was like for Native Americans during that period, and the film offered a fascinating look through the conversations between two characters who shared their perspectives.

People were initially pleased that the story of the local community was finally being shared, but they were shocked to discover that it focused almost entirely on the deaths of Indigenous women.

They claimed they didn’t have time to include it, but that wasn’t true. A planned eight-hour series was cancelled, and it could have provided the space to fully explore themes of toxic masculinity, as well as dedicate an entire episode to the Native American storyline.

Having collaborated with Scorsese on the 1976 film Taxi Driver, Foster clarified she wasn’t offering criticism of the director himself. Instead, she used Killers of the Flower Moon as a starting point to discuss broader problems within the film industry. She expressed her hope that Scorsese will create more projects similar to his critically acclaimed 2016 series Vinyl, and that he and other filmmakers will increasingly explore opportunities in streaming.

I can’t wait until he embraces that even more, because he has so much to bring to the table.

Many filmmakers have great ideas, but sometimes they want to create extremely long movies – like five hours long – instead of a standard length. It makes you wonder why they’d choose that format for a theatrical release.

Whether Martin Scorsese’s film would have been more effective as a streaming series is a matter of opinion, but Foster presents a strong case that reflects common criticisms of the movie. Many reviewers felt the three-and-a-half-hour length was too long and that the film would have benefited from a greater focus on the character of Mollie Kyle, played by Lily Gladstone.

Earlier at the festival, Scorsese sent Foster a video message offering his congratulations. He said he was sorry he couldn’t attend and fondly remembered her natural talent and charisma even when she was young.

Congratulations on receiving this well-deserved honor in Marrakech! I’m so sorry I can’t be there to celebrate with you. You’ve been incredibly important to my work and career. I’ve always admired the passion you bring to what you do – it’s been a part of you since you were very young. I still remember when you were just eight or nine years old and came into my office – you had a remarkable presence and immediately commanded everyone’s attention!

Jodie Foster and Martin Scorsese have been close friends and colleagues ever since they worked together on Taxi Driver many years ago. However, they don’t always agree on everything. For example, with Killers of the Flower Moon, Scorsese strongly supports traditional movie theaters, while Foster believes streaming is the future. Both are successful artists trying to find their way in the constantly changing world of entertainment.

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2025-11-30 21:32