Yorgos Lanthimos, the visionary filmmaker behind unsettling yet darkly comedic features like “The Lobster,” is back with another mind-bending puzzle in “The Killing of a Sacred Deer.”
This time, Lanthimos plunges us into the world of Steven Murphy, a seemingly successful cardiothoracic surgeon whose life takes a horrifying turn after a chance encounter with a peculiar teenager named Martin.
Initially, Steven feels a pang of guilt and a misplaced sense of responsibility for Martin, whose father tragically passed away on his operating table.
‘The Killing of a Sacred Deer’ stars Barry Keoghan as Martin, who infiltrates Colin Farrell’s family
This misplaced compassion leads him to take Martin under his wing, a decision that throws his seemingly perfect family life into utter disarray.
Martin, with his unsettling demeanor and unsettling pronouncements, begins to infiltrate the Murphy household, particularly fixating on Steven’s daughter, Kim. This unnerves not only Steven but also his wife, Anna.
As is characteristic of Lanthimos’ films, “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” thrives on a pervasive sense of unease created by the characters’ emotional detachment. Steven, accustomed to wielding a surgeon’s scalpel with precision, struggles to express his emotions, a trait that spills over into his family life.
This inability to communicate openly creates a breeding ground for dysfunction, leaving them ill-equipped to deal with the bizarre situation that unfolds. It’s no wonder, then, that Martin’s cryptic comments fail to elicit any real alarm from Steven.
When Martin’s attempts to unsettle Steven by hinting at his mother’s attraction to him fail, he intensifies his tactics, revealing a disturbing and psychotic agenda.
