REVIEW: The Killing of a Sacred Deer

As The Killing of a Sacred Deer is the third movie I have seen by Yorgos Lanthimos (the other two being his most famous ones, Dogtooth and The Lobster, of course), I did expect weirdness from his newest one as well. Still, The Killing of a Sacred Deer surprised me; the unsettling intensity of the film was very different from the quirkiness of The Lobster or even the disturbing alienation of Dogtooth.

The familiar deadpan humour was there, but I was surprised of how funny couple of tipsy ladies in the cinema found the film; it is a very gruesome story.  Lanthimos favourite Colin Farrell is once again brilliantly stiff in a leading role as a successful cardiologist, and Nicole Kidman is his beautiful doctor wife Anna. Their two children (Raffey Cassidy & Sunny Suljic) are well behaved, they have a beautiful home, but there is emptiness in Steve's (Farrell) way of interacting with people – from his calculating conversations with coworkers to preferences in bed. In addition to his seemingly perfect life he has a curious friendship with a teenage boy called Martin (Barry Keoghan), with whom he frequently meets up at a diner, and gives expensive presents to. And then bad things start to happen.

The rawness in interaction between family members are countered by supernatural storyline, but that does not feel far stretched thanks to steady building up of the tension. Brilliant Lobster-esque classical soundtrack accompanies the film, throwing cacophonic notes at the viewer even at calmer points, ensuring the feeling that something is going to happen.

Lanthimos offers less of horror and thrill; the feeling I repeatedly experienced during the film was shock. Where Dogtooth shocks by breaking of taboos, The Killing of a Sacred Deer draws the emotion from normal family dynamics getting twisted, which made me more involved and emotionally responsive.  

Presence of Martin, outsider from the family, reminds me of Dans la Maison (François Ozon, 2012) - the emotional investment on his inexplicable, mysterious guest puts us in the seat of teacher Germain Germain (Fabrice Luchini). Martin shares ominousness with the teenager in Ozon's film, finding his way "into the house" as well as the head of the protagonist. Notable is also the possibility of sexual tension between a teenage boy and adult man in both works, that is not explored in further detail and so the question lingers over the disturbing events of the film.

Maybe just slightly slow, The Killing of a Sacred Deer is definitely recommended, skillful and thought-provoking thriller.