Martin Scorsese’s upcoming Killers of the Flower Moon features many familiar faces. Frequent collaborators of the director, Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, are of course present in the movie, along with Jesse Plemons, John Lithgow, and Brendan Fraser. However, one of the main stars, Lily Gladstone, is someone you might recognize without being 100% sure where you’ve seen her before. In Scorsese's film, she plays Mollie Burkhart, a member of the Osage tribe in the Midwest of the United States where mysterious murders are taking place. Eventually, the FBI has to get involved, and a young J. Edgar Hoover enters the scene.
Set in the 1920s when oil deposits were discovered on Osage tribe land, Killers of the Flower Moon is visually quite distinct from the majority of Scorsese’s movies. He tends to focus on New York City, or less frequently other urban areas, whether it’s the present day or a period piece. It’s exciting to see Scorsese continue to break new ground, remaining creative after decades of filmmaking. However, the focus on violence and murder creates an obvious through-line from his previous work to this new venture.
As it’s Gladstone’s first role in a Scorsese movie, it could be interesting to delve into her previous work and get a sense of her presence on screen. Here are some movies and TV shows where you might have seen her before.
Subterranea (2015)
One of Gladstone’s earliest movies was Subterranea. The story centers around a man, played by Bug Hall, who had spent his entire life inside a darkened cell but is finally released into society. From then on, he is forced to learn about the real world and attempt to function normally in society. Once he discovers that he was raised separately from society as a kind of social experiment, he starts to look for an explanation. Gladstone stars here as Heather, along with William Katt as Mockenrue and Nicholas Turturro as Remy.
Certain Women (2016)
Certain Women is based on three short stories by Maile Meloy and directed by Kelly Reichardt. It presents the intertwined lives of three women in Montana, played by Michelle Williams, Kristen Stewart, and Laura Dern. Gladstone plays a ranch hand who becomes attached to Stewart’s character, a lawyer, and decides to start taking the adult education class that she runs in an effort to become closer to her. The entire movie is quietly moving, and Gladstone and Stewart’s portion is particularly so. Both actors do wonderfully with Reichardt’s subtle script and direction, speaking more with their physicality than with words.
Walking Out (2017)
In another Montana-based movie, Walking Out finds a distant father and son visiting the state to hunt. Matt Bomer and Josh Wiggins play the father and son, Cal and David, and they are also joined by Bill Pullman and Gladstone. To begin with, Cal and David don’t have much luck forging a connection after so much time apart, but once they experience a shocking event in the wilderness, there is much more focus placed on surviving than on their father-son bond.
First Cow (2019)
Gladstone’s second collaboration with Reichardt is in First Cow. This movie is set in 1820, among some early settlers in Oregon. It stars John Magaro as Cookie, who has traveled west alone and forges a connection with Orion Lee’s character, King-Lu. Together, they start a cooking business, which relies on dairy from the area’s first, and only, cow. Some of the movie’s other stars include Toby Jones, Alia Shawkat, and Dylan Smith. Unsurprisingly for Reichardt, the tone is quiet, but what is more unusual is that it’s hugely tense and thrilling at times in its own way.
Billions (2016-Present)
Turning to television, Gladstone makes a guest appearance in the show Billions. This follows top players in the New York financial industry, with some aiming to create as much wealth as possible and others seeking to redistribute it to those in need. The central cast includes Paul Giamatti, Damian Lewis, Asia Kate Dillon, and Daniel K. Isaac.
Gladstone’s character is named Roxanne, and she first appears in the show’s fourth season, and she continues to appear in three further episodes in seasons four and five. It's an engrossing drama that might not be as sophisticated as the likes of Succession, but scratches a similar itch.
Two Eyes (2020)
Similarly to Certain Women, Two Eyes follows three interconnected stories, one of which also coincidentally takes place in Montana. The different stories span from the late-19th Century to the present day, yet they still create a single narrative. Besides Gladstone, some of its cast is made up of Kiowa Gordon of the Twilight Saga, Ryan Cassata, and Jessica Allain. The way the movie displays the power of art is heartening as disparate stories from three different centuries are able to come together to create something unified.
Room 104 (2017-2020)
Created by Mark and Jay Duplass, Room 104 is an anthology series in which each episode takes place in the same room at an average motel. The genre-bending show ranges from the fantastical to the dramatic as different guests pass through. Gladstone features very briefly in the first season as a 911 operator, but the fourth season is where she gets a chance to shine. She stars as Abby alongside Leonardo Nam as Bruce, they are two childhood best friends reuniting for the first time in a long time, which brings up troubles from their past.
Tuca & Bertie (2019-2022)
Another TV show appearance Gladstone made is in the charming Tuca & Bertie, an adult animation series. It features Tiffany Haddish as Tuca and Ali Wong as Bertie, both of whom are 30-year-old birds who live in the same building. Created by Lisa Hanawalt, who was also a writer for BoJack Horseman, there is no shortage of laughs here. There is a similar atmosphere here as in Broad City, so fans of the show could do with checking this one out. Lily Gladstone features in season two as a Hawk Mechanic, and though the role is brief it’s plenty enjoyable.
The Unknown Country (2022)
The Unknown Country is an excellent showcase of Lily Gladstone’s acting abilities. She stars as Tana, a young woman who sets out on a road trip from the Midwest to the United States-Mexico border in order to reunite with her estranged family. Set in just after the 2016 election, The Unknown Country depicts a turbulent landscape, particularly for a young woman to be traversing alone. Given that she is front and center the entire time, it’s impressive how well she holds the movie up as she experiences moments of grief and moments of freedom.
Quantum Cowboys (2022)
Quantum Cowboys is a fascinating animated take on the western and science fiction genres. Set in the 1870s, two drifters — played by Kiowa Gordon and John Way — team up with Gladstone’s Linde in their search for a mysterious musician. All the typical trappings of a western are combined with science and philosophy to make this colorful, unique end product. Here, 12 different styles of animation are used to represent 12 different universes our characters journey through. It’s a pleasure to watch not only for its visuals, but also for its lovable characters and story.
Reservation Dogs (2021-Present)
Created by Taika Waititi and Sterlin Harjo, Reservation Dogs is a show about four Native American teenagers in Oklahoma. The friends are willing to do whatever it takes to get them out of their rural home and into California, be it stealing or saving. The show is quirky and hilarious, as is to be expected in a Waititi vehicle, but it’s also groundbreaking and emotional. It’s incredibly refreshing to have a popular show handle its Indigenous stories so carefully and authentically rather than playing into stereotypes. Gladstone features briefly in the second season as Hokti, and though she is only in one episode, the entirety of the series is worth a watch.
The Last Manhunt (2022)
The Last Manhunt is yet another western, this time based on true events from the early 1900s. It’s written by Jason Mamoa and Thomas Pa’a Sibbett and directed by Christian Camargo who is coincidentally another previous star of the Twilight Saga. In a Romeo and Juliet-esque story, two young people fall in forbidden love and are forced to flee together after a terrible accident. Martin Sensmeier and Mainei Kinimaka play the star-crossed leads, and they are joined by Lily Gladstone, Zahn McClarnon, and Brandon Oakes. The movie is not the best advertising for Mamoa's writing, but it features some solid performances.
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