Warning: spoilers for Killers of the Flower Moon

Summary

• Brendan Fraser's performance in "Killers of the Flower Moon" has been divisive, with some viewers finding it too over-the-top.
• Fraser's character, W.S. Hamilton, is meant to be over-the-top and intense in his courtroom scenes, as it establishes his character and connection to Hale.
• Despite the mixed reception, Fraser's limited screen time and minimal dialogue in the film are disappointing for those who enjoyed his previous performance in "The Whale."

Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio), the nephew of William “King” Hale (Robert De Niro), the friendly benefactor of the Osage people who actually wanted to take their money.

In order to get what he wanted, Hale manipulated Ernest to kill Osage people and convinced him to marry Molly Kyle (Lily Gladstone), as her family owned much of the oil headrights. After the murders of the Osage people were ignored for a long time, the Bureau of Investigation sent agents to investigate. Everything pointed at Burkhart and Hale, and of course, the latter was ready to fight back and called his attorney, W.S. Hamilton (Brendan Fraser). Fraser’s recent return to the big screen has been very well-received, but his performance as W.S. Hamilton in Killers of the Flower Moon has received some criticism.

Brendan Fraser's Killers Of The Flower Moon Performance Has Been Divisive

Although Brendan Fraser was one of the most exciting and talked-about additions to the cast of Killers of the Flower Moon, he doesn’t appear until late into the third act of the movie. Fraser’s Hamilton convinces Burkhart to say that his confession against Hale was the result of torture so he wouldn’t testify against Hale, and though Burkhart is intimidated at first, he changes his mind after the death of his youngest child. Burkhart ends up testifying against Hale, despite Hamilton’s efforts to avoid it.

Fraser first appears in a scene at the court, and as soon as Burkhart takes his seat to testify, Hamilton stands up and starts shouting to get everyone’s attention. Fraser's performance in this scene is quite intense and triggers chaos in the room, but to some viewers, it was too over-the-top. Fraser’s performance sparked intense reactions on social media, with some going as far as comparing him to the Kool-Aid man. Others took issue with how he appears in one specific shot with the rest of Hale’s allies, even though he was just standing there among them.

However, there are many others who have defended and praised Fraser’s performance in Killers of the Flower Moon. Many social media s have called Fraser “perfect” for the role of Hale’s attorney, while others pointed out that, if his performance had been as bad as many claim, Martin Scorsese wouldn’t have left those scenes in the final cut of Killers of the Flower Moon. It has certainly been a surprise that, out of everything that happens in the movie, Fraser’s performance has sparked debate and become divisive, but ultimately, his character was meant to be anything but calm.

Brendan Fraser's Character Is Meant To Be Over-The-Top In Killers Of The Flower Moon

Brendan Fraser’s first scene in Killers of the Flower Moon is certainly shocking as he’s first seen calmly sitting next to De Niro’s Hale and he suddenly stands up and starts shouting. It’s an intensity rarely seen in Fraser’s works, but it’s actually exactly what the movie and the character required. As noted by some social media s, W.S. Hamilton shouting at every member of the court is something that happens in Grann’s book, so Fraser’s performance in that scene had to be over-the-top.

Hamilton acting so intensely in the courtroom was key to not only establishing his character and his connection to Hale but also how Hale handled these situations. Hamilton needed to create a distraction in order to buy himself and Hale more time so they could come up with an action plan to save Hale, even if that meant sending Burkhart to prison. Hamilton was meant to be loud in his first scene to show how unpredictable he was and the tactics that the wealthy use to escape justice.

Killers Of The Flower Moon Is Still A Disappointing Follow-Up After Brendan Fraser's Oscars Win

Brendan Fraser’s career slowed down in the late 2000s after being one of the most popular actors in the 1990s and early 2000s. Fraser’s triumphant return began in the late 2010s, with his comeback being labeled by the media as the “Brenaissance”, and his most notable project during this era has been Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale. Fraser played Charlie, a reclusive English teacher with morbid obesity who tried to restore his relationship with his teenage daughter, Ellie (Sadie Sink). Fraser won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Whale, and Killers of the Flower Moon is his first project following the success of The Whale.

What makes Brendan Fraser’s role in Killers of the Flower Moon disappointing is not the intensity of that first scene, as that’s how it had to be, but that he doesn’t have enough screen time. Fraser’s role is minimal, and he has very little dialogue, which is disappointing after watching his heartbreaking performance in The Whale.