100 Movie Challenge 2017 - # 130: The Killing of a Sacred Deer

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Mystery
Runtime: 121 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Barry Keoghan, Alicia Silverstone, Bill Camp

Description: Steven (Colin Farrell), a charismatic surgeon, is forced to make an unthinkable sacrifice after his life starts to fall apart, when the behavior of a teenage boy (Barry Keoghan) he has taken under his wing turns sinister.

Review: Yorgos Lanthimos has an interesting mind. Just look at “The Lobster”. “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” is not any different. It’s a complete mystery what the film really means, but it gives you enough material to think about.
The film also marks the second collaboration between Lanthimos and actor Colin Farrell, who seems right in his place in this absurd world. Farrell plays Steve, a successful heart surgeon with an apparent perfect life: he has a good job where he gets praised for, a huge house, a beautiful and successful wife and two talented kids. Outside work, Steven often talks to teenager Martin. What the connection between the two is, stays a secret for a while, but you know something’s going on. The two meet each other in a café, are very polite to one another and exchange gifts.
When Martin is invited to Steven’s home, the rest of the family really like to have him around. But not for long. Things are going terribly wrong with the family and it feels like somehow Martin’s presence causes this all. From that moment on, the movie becomes darker, more psychological and it leans towards horror. The absurd tone of Lanthmos’ style is still present, but “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” has a lot more scary elements then his previous films. Mostly because of Barry Keoghan’s performance. He manages to portray Martin very well. He is always polite, but there is also a constant threat that is hard to put your finger on.
Not only the cast is doing really well, also Lanthimos as a director. His camera work, the dialogues, the shots, every detail. He knows how to make the audience feel uncomfortable.
I think it’s safe to say, that Yorgos Lanthimos is not a director for the mainstream audience. But once you get used to his style a but, you can clearly see that “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” is one of the best movies of 2017.

Rating: 5/ 5