Review of The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) by Ben S — 14 Jan 2018

Steven Murphy, (Collin Farrel), is a doctor who has been spending time with a strange boy, Martin (Barry Keoghan). Murphy's life seems to be perfect he has a good job, a beautiful wife (Nicole Kidman) and two daughters. However, after the accidental death of the boy's father during a routine surgical procedure Steven Murphy has strange illnesses befall his family shortly after letting Martin into his life.

"The Killing of a Sacred Deer" has been hailed by some critics as "Kubrickesque" I think more accurately I can see a lot of similarities to the Kubrick film "The Shining". There is a very intense string heavy score that helps accentuate the tension in the film. As well as a heavy use of long one take tracking shots as characters walk, or crawl, through hallways. The director, Yorgos Lanthimos utilizes long takes several times in this movie with great success. It helps create an unsettling aura about the film that he is clearly shooting for. Like his other successful films, Lanthimos doesn't make it easy for the viewer. He doesn't let the viewer off easy and throughout the film we don't ever really get to feel any sense of calm we are always tense and uneasy. He pushes this atmosphere through his performances as well as through his style of filmmaking.

Colin Farrel and Nicole Kidman are obvious highlights of this cast as they shine in their roles. The surprise for me came in the form of who we saw earlier this year in the critically successful film Dunkirk (Barry Keoghan). He becomes a great catalyst for Colin Farrel as he silently slides his way into his life like a virus. He doesn't seem alarming at first. But his calm politeness soon becomes menacing.

As an exercise this film is very successful. I was tense throughout the entire film as Lanthimos continues to create cinema that awes and shocks. Lanthimos has proven in the past that he is not afraid to push his viewers uncomfortably in his films. And much like Lanthimos' previous films the audience will be doing a fair amount of squirming in their seats in "The Killing of a Sacred Deer". With some very strong films under his belt now Lanthimos is really starting to develop a distinct style, similar to that of the style director Lars Von Trier. Both make very conceptually beautiful and uncompromisingly grim films. Although, unlike Von Trier, Lanthimos' stories seem to be much more concise and emotionally accessible. Even if the stories are strange and confusing at times.

It is unfair to compare "The Killing of a Sacred Deer" to Lanthimos' previous success, "The Lobster". But it's hard to not think that "The Killing of a Sacred Deer" may have benefited greatly from a story with a bit more density to it. I'm not expecting a screenplay with as much depth and complexity as "The Lobster". But at the same time, it's hard not to want that after seeing what Lanthimos is capable of.