Review of The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) by Thomas D — 06 Nov 2017

The Horror genre keeps on taking leaps forward in terms of creativity. The Killing of a Sacred Deer, along with It Comes at Night, are two impeccably original horror films that don't play out at all the way you expect, and that's largely the reason why I love them both so much.

I haven't seen Yorgos Lanthimos' other work, but what I have seen, is a good number of David Lynch's work. And The Killing of a Sacred Deer sure feels a whole lot like one of his films. Aesthetically, tonally, and Lanthimos' direction all feel straight out of something David Lynch would make. Interestingly enough, as memorable as this film is with its terrifying plot, everything is often very quiet and soft spoken. It's almost like the characters aren't surprised at the events that unfold and that makes it all the more unsettling when horrifying things start to unravel.

Contributing to that horror, is the films main antagonist, Martin, played by Barry Keoghan. He was good in Dunkirk over the summer, but his performance as Martin is just about as close to perfection as you can ask for due to how that character is written. I don't want to say too much about what he does, but it's some of the most unsettling things I have ever seen in a movie, period. It's these psychological thriller/horror films that scare me the most.

Much of this film is left in ambiguity and up for interpretation, which is part of the reason why I'm not revealing much of the plot at all as I just don't have the answers. But when a film captures the perfect tone and mood, especially in horror, the events tend to speak for themselves and you don't need things to be explained to get what the director wanted you to feel.

Overall, The Killing of a Sacred Deer is an extremely difficult film to watch, but not because of gore or violence, more because of the dire events that drive the plot forward. I don't think I'll ever watch the film a second time, but it sure was worth more than a glance.

8.5/10.