The Killing of a Sacred Deer

The Killing of a Sacred Deer

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

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos

The Story:
Heart surgeon Seven Murphy (Colin Farrell) seems to have the picture-perfect life: adoring wife Anna (Nicole Kidman), well-behaved kids Kim (Raffey Cassidy) and Bob (Sunny Suljic), a high-paying job, and a marvelous house.  Yet not everything is as it seems, as he befriends strange teenager Martin (Barry Keoghan), and the two have a very strange relationship.  It's this relationship that threatens to tear down everything Steven built up, possibly destroying his family and altering his future forever.

The Synopsis:
"In Greek mythology, Iphigenia appears as the Greek fleet gathers in Aulis to prepare for war against Troy.  At Aulis, the leader of the Greeks, Agamemnon, accidentally kills a deer in a grove sacred to the goddess Artemis.  She punishes him by interfering with the winds so that his fleet cannot sail to Troy. The seer Calchas reveals that, to appease Artemis, Agamemnon must sacrifice his eldest daughter, Iphigenia. Agamemnon at first refuses but, pressured by the other commanders, eventually agrees" (wikipedia).

Thus is the basis for Yorgos Lanthimos' brilliant masterpiece "The Killing of a Sacred Deer," which at some level seems to be a modern re-telling of the Greek myth, but at a deeper level is a stirring satire of the modern day desire to strive for perfection at any cost.  Through appropriately strange performances, a purposely vague script, and unnerving camera angles, Lanthimos sets up a mysterious tale that unravels from start to finish as an unrelenting journey to a tragic conclusion - there could be no happy ending here.

We get to see the privileged world of the upper class, as we sit in on the Murphys - a family who seemingly has it all - we already sense undercurrents of dissatisfaction and disunity.  Typically, I would harp on how actors perform in a "wooden" fashion - no emotion, no swelling grandiose, nothing more than a generic flat line on a monitor - but here it works extremely well in adding to the sense of dread.  None of the family members seem at all excited about anything, or anyone - including each other.  An in-depth discussion about the possibilities of their death are delivered with as much impact as discussing what to eat for dinner.  In fact, there's only one moment of heightened elevation, but other than that it's a flat, monotone performance, and that's what the script calls for, and what is demanded by the actors.  Even the mysterious boy Martin speaks with such deadpan tones that it positively sends a shiver down your spine.

Without getting into the details of the script - I feel that this is one of those films you should go into without having any preconceived notions of what's about to happen - I'll readily admit that it was one of the most uncomfortable films I've sat through, in a good way.  There's a build-up of suspense and incoming doom that would make Hitchcock proud, as you sense the bubbling well of despair slowly rising to the surface.  You don't know what's happening like they don't know what's happening, what's causing it, or how (even if) to stop it.  We're all just helpless voyagers at the hands of a ruthless captain.

The camera angles are reminiscent of Kubrick or Polanski, as we're gifted with long travels down white-walled hospital corridors and use of natural light in a way that adds to the suspense and overall feeling of discomfort.  We see a perfect world slowly unravel and turn into a living, waking nightmare.  

Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman - two titans of our time - deliver impeccable performances here as the patriarch and matriarch of the family.  Farrell displays a sense of personal hubris, like he's a god in a world of mortals.  Kidman is the submissive wife - on occasion - who also exhibits a powerful resolve of her own - on occasion.  Raffey Cassidy (best known for her role in the forgettable "Tomorrowland") exudes teenage angst and turmoil as only a girl in today's generation can do, and Sunny Suljic blends youthful innocence with a knowledge way beyond his years.  Even Alicia Silverstone gives a powerful performance - so much so I didn't even realize it was her - as Martin's strange mother: she is enamored with Steven's hands, and refuses to let him leave her house until he has one of her tarts.

Yet the scene stealing performance goes to Barry Keoghan, who was also in Christopher Nolan's masterpiece "Dunkirk," as the wayward Martin.  The film starts off with Steven and Martin having an unexpected friendship, and we don't know right away what brought that about, but as the film unrolls its scroll of terror, we learn the sickening basis for their relationship.  Keoghan gives a deadpan performance that's truly unsettling, and he seems to have no filter whatsoever (he asks Steven to see his hairy armpits, talking about how great of a body his mother has).  He's so good at his performance that you can't tell whether he's the harbinger of doom, or doom itself.

The Summary:
A film that discusses the sins of the past coming back to haunt the present, "The Killing of a Sacred Deer" is one of those unforgettable films that will grip you from the start and keep you riveted to the final shocking conclusion.

The Score: A+