Here are Cinephile Corner’s 10 recommendations for movies like Killers of the Flower Moon:
The Zone of Interest
Jonathan Glazer presents these characters not as the stand-ins for pure evil, rather those complacent in atrocities of large-scale magnitude. And if this doesn’t sound like the most prescient way to depict complacency through a historical lens, Glazer goes as far as to break the fourth wall towards the end of the third act, putting the events of The Zone of Interest in modern context in a similar fashion to Martin Scorsese’s in Killers of the Flower Moon. They can only make sense of their stories through their own experiences and beliefs, and in both cases, they’re palpable and timely in a way few films achieve.
Read our full review of The Zone of Interest
No Country for Old Men
Revisiting No Country for Old Men on its 4K Criterion Collection release reminded me why this film stands among the greats—not just of 2007, not just of the 21st century, but of all time. It’s Joel and Ethan Coen at their most precise and uncompromising, blending their dualistic approach to filmmaking: the sharp nihilism of their darker works with the understated, situational humor that defines their lighter outings. It’s a masterpiece of tension, craft, and existential dread, all wrapped in a narrative as sparse and unrelenting as the Texas landscape it inhabits.
Read our full review of No Country for Old Men
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Directed by Andrew Dominik, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a film that defies categorization. At once a Western, a character study, a crime drama, and a meditation on the nature of fame and legend, it is a film that offers something for every viewer, yet never loses its focus or its power.
Read our full review of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Miller’s Crossing
In the Coens’ filmography filled with bold tonal shifts and genre experiments, Miller’s Crossing sits as a reserved yet razor-sharp piece of storytelling. It may not wear its eccentricities on its sleeve like Barton Fink or O Brother, Where Art Thou?, but it reflects the Coens’ precision and intelligence with remarkable clarity. For most filmmakers, this would be a career-best. For the Coens, it’s just another strong chapter in a catalog that rarely misses.
Read our full review of Miller’s Crossing
Oppenheimer
Oppenheimer is undoubtedly one of the best movies directed by Christopher Nolan, who puts any doubt to rest that he wouldn’t be capable of capturing a story of this magnitude. Cillian Murphy gives an iconic performance that intensifies each moment rolling along this breakneck biopic of J. Robert Oppenheimer.
Read our full review of Oppenheimer
The Revenant
The Revenant might be as close as I’ll ever get to fully enjoying an Alejandro González Iñárritu film. While his work often leans into self-indulgence—whether through the meta posturing of Birdman or the grating self-reflection of Bardo—this film largely sidesteps that pitfall. Instead, The Revenant strips things down to a primal survival story, focusing on raw spectacle rather than existential musings about art and life.
Read our full review of The Revenant
The Order
The Order may not offer anything particularly new by industry standards, but Justin Kurzel‘s direction keeps the film engaging and intriguing as the story unfolds. It’s well-made and interesting, even though it draws on themes and styles found in many similar movies. While some argue that Hollywood no longer makes films like it used to, The Order feels like it came from a different time.
Read our full review of The Order
Blood Simple
Nearly every time I revisit Blood Simple, I’m struck by how confident and precise Joel and Ethan Coen were right out of the gate. Released in 1984, Blood Simple is the Coen brothers’ debut film and still stands as one of the greatest first features ever made. A neo-noir steeped in paranoia, betrayal, and bloody miscommunication, it’s a film that knows exactly what it wants to be—lean, stylish, and razor-sharp.
Read our full review of Blood Simple
The Brutalist
Throughout December, expect to see many outlets anoint Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist as the best film of 2024. It’s epic. It’s wildly accomplished. And it knows it. The movie’s operatic opening crescendos into a visually striking image of the Statue of Liberty flipped upside down—an arresting symbol that mirrors the film’s poster. It’s the kind of bold, declarative start that announces a filmmaker fully in command of their craft.
Read our full review of The Brutalist
The Alto Knights
For fans of Robert De Niro, it’s worth seeing The Alto Knights simply for the novelty of his dual performance and to appreciate that he’s still working at a high level this late into his career. But for those hoping for something in the vein of The Godfather Part II, Casino, or even American Gangster, this is a far more subdued and forgettable entry in the genre.
