Martin Scorsese’s latest masterpiece Killers of the Flower Moon has been receiving critical acclaim all over the world. Apart from the legendary Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, the film’s ensemble cast also features talented actors like Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons and the reigning Best Actor Oscar winner, Brendan Fraser. However, Fraser’s brief role in the film has been subject to a lot of online criticism that even Scorsese had to rush to his defense. Let’s take a closer look at the backlash against Brendan Fraser’s performance in Killers of the Flower Moon.
Backlash against Brendan Fraser’s acting, explained
While Brendan Fraser’s appearance in the film could be considered a brief supporting role or even an extended cameo, his impact on the audience suggests otherwise. While some fans seemed to enjoy his acting, most of them did not seem to be impressed.
Also, having seen Killers of the Flower Moon, I'm on team "Brendan Fraser understood the assignment".
Like, he is over the top, but the scenes he's in are already kind of over the top and are meant to be jarring.
— 🎃 Christian Hannahween 🎃 (@TheHannahcast) October 30, 2023
In Killers of the Flower Moon, the 54-year-old actor stars as W.S. Hamilton who is the attorney for William Hale, played by Robert De Niro. For people who watched the film, it’s evident that the lawyer is a loud, high-spirited and overpowering individual.
However, Fraser’s acting appears to have blurred the lines between the character and the performer as fans have called his performance ‘overblown’. Even one of his very first lines “This man is my client!” starts with a delivery that feels like he is yelling in the court.
Brendan Fraser addressing the crowd like a Paul Heyman promo in Killers Of The Flower Moon will go down in history.
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) October 26, 2023
Social media users claim that Brendan Fraser’s over-the-top acting in Killers of the Flower Moon does not gel with the film’s quiet mood and slow-burn pace. Some even believe that his acting ‘killed’ the film for them.
Martin Scorsese defends Brendan Fraser’s performance
The criticism against Brendan Fraser’s acting has been so prominent that it has reached the ears of Martin Scorsese himself. The veteran director may be eighty years of age but that doesn’t stop him from being up to date on what goes on in the internet.
Scorsese has heaped praise on Fraser’s performance in his film, calling him perfect for the role. He appreciated how he “brought down the scene” on Leonardo DiCaprio with his girth. He added that they had a wonderful time working together on set.
Earlier, even Apple Original Films had taken to Twitter (X) to clear the air about The Mummy actor’s divisive performance. The company’s social media handle highlighted a paragraph from the movie’s original book where Fraser’s character addresses the courtroom.
Note the exclamation point. pic.twitter.com/Nw6hENRbUH
— Apple Original Films (@AppleFilms) October 25, 2023
The caption “Note the exclamation point” was a clear hint for the audience to understand that W.S. Hamilton was sometimes an overbearing individual in real life just like his character in the movie.
More details about Killers of the Flower Moon
Despite releasing in a relatively limited number of screens around the world with low marketing, Killers of the Flower Moon has earned over $100 million at the box office. While the number may not be ideal for a film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, it’s still impressive for its 206-minute duration.
Killers of the Flower Moon is a revisionist western about the cold-blooded crimes committed against the Osage Nation in 1920s Oklahoma. Particularly, Brendan Fraser’s character W.S. Hamilton was crucial to the overall narrative of events.
