Martin Scorsese Defends Outrageous 'Killers Of The Flower Moon' Runtime, People Will Need Many Bathroom Breaks

Martin Scorsese has no issue with the insane runtime of "Killers of the Flower Moon."

The highly-anticipated film with Leonardo DiCaprio about the Osage Nation murders premieres October 20, and checks in with a run time of three hours and 26 minutes. That's longer than your average NFL game.

Sitting in a movie theater for a couple hours can be a bit of a drag. Sitting in a movie theater for three and a half hours is likely going to drive a lot of people to stay home. Yet, Scorsese thinks people need to have "some respect" for the situation.

"Killers could play on a small screen, but in order to truly immerse yourself, you should take out the time. People say it's three hours, but come on, you can sit in front of the TV and watch something for five hours. Also, there are many people who watch theatre for 3.5 hours. There are real actors on stage, you can't get up and walk around. You give it that respect, give cinema some respect," the film's director explained during an interview with the Hindustan Times.

"Killers of the Flower Moon" is nearly three and a half hours long. (Credit: Apple TV+)

Martin Scorsese defends runtime of "Killers of the Flower Moon."

I can't tell you how excited I am for "Killers of the Flower Moon." The book the film is based on from David Grann is one of the best books I've read in years.

The true story about the mysterious and violent deaths of Osage Nation members is a chilling and sinister story more Americans should know.

Expectations are through the roof and for good reason. "Killers of the Flower Moon" has a real chance to be the best movie of the year.

Yet sitting in a movie theater for three and half hours is absolutely nuts. Scorsese compares it to going to the theater. I did that once in New York to see the best play on Broadway, and sticking needles in my eyes would have been a more enjoyable experience. Not a great comparison to make.

My movie theater strategy is simple. Order a few beers, get some snacks and hope like hell the rest of the theater shuts up so I can enjoy the very limited time away I have from grinding out content for all the readers. Usually, I need one bathroom break for a two hour movie. If there's a couple extra beers, it can go to two.

A three and a half hour movie might as well have a revolving door on the bathroom. People are going to miss so much that it's not even worth going.

Leonardo DiCaprio stars in "Killers of the Flower Moon." (Credit: Apple TV+)

As excited as I am for "Killers of the Flower Moon," I might have to end up watching this one at home where I can pause, go to the fridge, get more popcorn, grab some more cold beers and use the bathroom at my leisure without missing anything. Three and a half hours might just be a bit too much.