The Killing of a Sacred Deer – A Weirdly Tense Thriller

ICYMI: My earlier review of The Killing of a Sacred Deer from this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, originally found here.

Synopsis: Dr. Steven Murphy is a renowned cardiovascular surgeon presiding over a spotless household with his ophthalmologist wife Anna and their two exemplary children, 12-year-old Bob and 14-year-old Kim. Lurking at the margins of his idyllic suburban existence is Martin, a fatherless teen who Steven has covertly taken under his wing. As Martin begins insinuating himself into the family’s life in ever-more unsettling displays, the full scope of his intent becomes menacingly clear when he confronts Steven with a long-forgotten transgression that will shatter the Murphy family’s domestic bliss. (a24)

Starring: Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, and Barry Keoghan

Writers: Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthymis Filippou

Director:  Yorgos Lanthimos

Rating: 18A (Canada)/R (United States)

Running Time: 109mins

Trailer: 

For showtimes and more, check out The Killing of a Sacred Deer on movietimes.com.

From the writer of the incredibly weird The Lobster, Yorgos Lanthimos, comes the equally weird The Killing of a Sacred Deer. While the former seemed gratuitously weird with no real story, this new film also has some of that trademark strangeness but with an actual story this time around. 

The story was suspenseful and compelling to watch thanks to the lead performances by Farrell as Dr. Murphy, Kidman as his wife Anna, and Keoghan as Martin. Farrell and Kidman were their usual selves here with their great chemistry making them a believable couple but it is Keoghan who stood out above both experienced actors, standing on his own and stealing scenes. Over the course of the film, he manages to go from charming to downright sinister with relative ease.

Overall, this was an excellent thriller with all the weirdness you’d expect from Lanthimos but with a compelling story and great performances to nicely tie it all together.

Score: 9.5/10

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.