The Killing of a Sacred Deer Review

The Killing of a Sacred Deer

Starring: Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Raffey Cassidy, Barry Keoghan

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos

Yorgos Lanthimos’ disturbing horror thriller, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, is an uncompromising and uncomfortable film, one filled to the brim with both real and body horror. Like his previous film, The Lobster, it will divide people. That division should lead to some great conversations.

We open on Steven (Colin Farrell), a brilliant surgeon who has a monotone life with his doctor wife Anna (Nicole Kidman) and two children: Kim (Raffey Cassidy) and Bob (Sunny Siljic). Steven also has a third unofficial child, Martin (Barry Keoghan). Martin has just recently lost his father, and is now looking at Steven as the new father figure in his life. His intentions prove to be sinister. Once Bob becomes paralyzed from the waist down, and Martin gives Steven an ultimatum, things get horrifyingly bizarre for all involved.

This movie made me uncomfortable and I can’t recall a film that made me feel this way in a long time. When the credits started to roll, I felt myself letting out a loud, deep breath. Not out of displeasure from the film, but because I felt I could finally release. From the extremely long opening shot of a beating heart, to uncomfortable scenes of Steven thinking his son is faking paralysis, the film works on such a disturbing level. Each frame is soaked in mounting psychological tension, which culminates in a finale that is so horrifyingly over the top you can’t help but laugh a little bit at its outrageousness. Martin and Steven’s relationship wasn’t clearly defined for me in the beginning, so their meetings seemed sinister without really needing to do much. What also makes things even colder is the blunt way characters talk.

Like The Lobster, there are moments of levity, but most of the laughs are uncomfortable ones. I know I’m in the minority on this, but I wasn’t a big fan of The Lobster. I thought the first half was hilariously brilliant and captured the satirical tone perfectly. The second half, once they had left the hotel, lost all that tension and satire for me, and became a slow bore. Even with a great trailer, I approached this film with some trepidation.

Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman are on top of their game here, getting ample opportunity to show why they are two of the best in the film business. The real breakout star is Barry Keoghan. My first exposure to him was in Dunkirk, but after seeing this I wish Christopher Nolan would have given him more to do. The kid is creepy and is maybe one of the best cinematic villains to grace the screen in a long time. If this movie doesn’t break this kid out in a big way, that is a tragedy.

What’s keeping it from earning a higher score for me is a lack of closure or answers. I’m not sure if I am okay with there being none. But what I do know is I watched a very unique and ultimately terrifying entry into the horror/thriller genre.

B+