The movies of Yorgos Lanthimos are hard to compare or include in a category. Maybe they should be declared a genre of their own. Dogtooth or The Lobster provided dystopian perspectives of family and love. With ‘The Killing of a Sacred Deer‘ it looks that he made steps ahead. Both in assimilating and processing myths and social relations, but also in creating a disturbing atmosphere. This is a disturbing film from many points of view. Because or despite of it it forwards a strong message that makes the film impossible to forget.
source http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5715874
The story starts as a medical drama. The successful surgeon dr. Murphy (Colin Farrell) has it all – a beautiful wife (Nicole Kidman), two manageable kids, and some kind of a tutoring relation with another teenager of lower social condition which he may lead to becoming a surgeon as well. Yet, the apparent solid fabric of his life is slowly deteriorating as the kid friend starts showing signs of becoming somebody different, who shares dark secrets and has reasons to punish or even destroy his life. The film slowly slides into horror, fantastic, myth. It ends in a very different place from the one it started. It’s shocking and frightening.
The art of Yorgos Lanthimos combines the fluent story telling with the mastering of the different genres, but his roots are deeper, as the hints to Greek mythology that is included in the title. He also makes no effort to avoid controversy of break taboos. It’s not easy viewing, but it’s impossible to get out of the mind if you immersed in his world. Strongly recommended.