A surgeon is forced to make an impossible decision when his family is threatened by the son of one of his patients who died on the operating table.
HORROR
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The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
Written by Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou Starring Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Barry Keoghan, Raffey Cassidy, Sunny Suljic, Bill Camp, Alicia Silverstone |
So this is what a Yorgos Lanthimos horror movie looks like. Not too shabby. Definitely a step up from the weirdness of Dogtooth. Yorgos is a director I still have a lot of homework for, but what I've seen has mostly impressed me. The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a very dark movie, but also extremely bizarre. It feels like a waking nightmare, and the actors' ethereal performances only enhance that weird feeling. It's hard to describe, but will immediately make sense when you see the film.
Steven (Farrell) is a surgeon who has been spending a lot of time with a teenage boy named Martin (Keoghan). At first, we don't know anything about their relationship beyond Steven wants it to be secret and he buys Martin food and gifts. So already, assumptions are made. But as the film progresses, you learn Martin's true intentions and it's pretty damn sinister. There's a supernatural air to what's going on, but it could also be psychological or straight up malicious. We don't know. What we do know is that the performances all feel off, but I'm convinced it's intentional. The Lobster felt the same way. Yorgos has a way of filmmaking that feels like you're catching a glimpse into a crazy, alternate reality where people don't have souls. The Killing of a Sacred Deer has an engaging story, a memorable villain, a horrific conclusion, and leaves you wanting more but in the best way. This is another unforgettable odd duck from Yorgos Lanthimos that I will be thinking about for quite some time. It's a mixture of several genres, but I think this is the closest thing to a horror movie we've gotten from him. Yet. |