The reviews are in: What are people saying about "Killers of the Flower Moon"

The largest Oklahoma-made epic hits the silver screen this week and the reviews are in.

Directed by Martin Scorsese, "Killers of the Flower Moon" depicts the 'Reign of Terror' in Oklahoma, a string of murders of the Osage people, who had become some of the wealthiest people in the world when oil was discovered on their allotted land. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, and Robert De Niro.

So far, the film has a 94% certified fresh Tomatometer ranking on Rotten Tomatoes, which is based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics.

“Killers of the Flower Moon” premieres October 20 in US theaters and will later stream on Apple TV+. It’s rated R.

Here's a roundup of what critics are saying about the film.

'Killers of the Flower Moon' premiere: Learn more about the true history, Osage people who made film

New York Times: "An unsettling masterpiece"

Reviewer Manohla Dargis describes the film as telling a "cruel and baroque American story of love, murder, greed and unspeakable betrayal in 1920s Indian Country" which Scorsese has turned into a "requiem for the country."

Dargis points out that the film has thinned out the history described in the source material - David Grann’s 2017 book "Killers of the Flowers Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the F.B.I."

But in the way Scorsese tells the story through assorted genres like romance, western, domestic drama, and whodunit, each minute of the run time is both ominous and voluptuous.

Osage consultant: “This film isn’t made for an Osage audience”

In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Osage language consultant Christopher Cote lamented the focus on the white male character, rather than the story of the Osage woman and her people.

“As an Osage, I really wanted this to be from the perspective of Mollie and what her family experienced, but I think it would take an Osage to do that,” Cote said, referencing Lily Gladstone’s character. “Martin Scorsese, not being Osage, I think he did a great job representing our people, but this history is being told almost from the perspective of Ernest Burkhart."

The Oklahoman: Scorsese's Oklahoma-made opus is worth the wait

Entertainment writer Brandy McDonnell describes Grann's slow-burn writing style, with its meticulous attention to detail, vivid descriptions and intriguing asides, as a strong match with the director's epic intentions.

"'Killers of the Flower Moon' isn't a popcorn movie — and it shouldn't be. It's a historical drama based on a terrible true story, and playing the long game presses viewers to take in and acknowledge the horrors instead of just glossing over them like one of the comic-book movie fictions that Scorsese has often criticized."

CNN: Scorsese’s film "wants to be epic but just feels long"

CNN's reviewer Brian Lowry says filmmakers often attempt an "epic" but end up with just a long film, and that's what Scorsese delivers.

"After all the great movies Scorsese has directed, his streaming phase has birthed better-than-average ones, perhaps because the finished product is in some respects secondary to the reputational value associated with the director and the stars he attracts.

The Associated Press: Film an offering to Osage, to cinema lovers

AP reviewer Jocelyn Noveck celebrated the cadence of actors' performances, particularly Lily Gladstone as she shares the screens with film greats like DiCaprio and De Niro.

She also points out that this film takes three and a half hours, which is three minutes less than Scorcese's last film “The Irishman,” but the way the story is told, "you feel you could have stayed longer still."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: The reviews are in: Critics on "Killers of the Flower Moon"