The Killing of a Sacred Deer

The Killing of a Sacred Deer
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
Produced by
Written by
Starring
Cinematography Thimios Bakatakis
Edited by Yorgos Mavropsaridis
Production
company
Distributed by
Release date
  • May 22, 2017 (2017-05-22) (Cannes)
  • October 20, 2017 (2017-10-20) (United States)
  • November 3, 2017 (2017-11-03) (United Kingdom & Ireland)
Running time
 121 minutes
Country
  • Ireland
  • United Kingdom
Language English
Box office $6.1 million[1]

The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a 2017 psychological thriller film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, from a screenplay by Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou. It stars Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Barry Keoghan, Raffey Cassidy, Sunny Suljic, Alicia Silverstone, and Bill Camp. The story is based on the ancient Greek play Iphigenia at Aulis by Euripides.[2][3]

The film follows a cardiac surgeon (Farrell) who secretly befriends a teenage boy (Keoghan) with a connection to his past. He introduces the boy to his family, who begin to fall mysteriously ill.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. The film was theatrically released in the United States on October 20, 2017, by A24, and in the United Kingdom and Ireland on November 3, 2017, by Curzon Artificial Eye. It has received positive reviews, and grossed over $6 million worldwide.[1]

Plot

Steven Murphy, a skilled cardiothoracic surgeon, finishes an open heart surgery, and goes to a diner where he meets a teenage boy named Martin. Afterward, Steven returns home to his wife, Anna, and their children, Kim and Bob. He later tells Anna that Martin's father died in a car accident ten years earlier, and that he has taken an interest in the boy to help him grieve. Martin comes to the Murphy household for dinner; Kim seems rather taken with him.

Martin returns the favor by inviting Steven to his mother's home for dinner. After the meal, Steven tries to leave but Martin insists he watch a movie with them. Martin leaves halfway through, and his mother makes a romantic advance on Steven, who rebuffs her and goes home. Over the next few days, Martin's demands on Steven's time grow increasingly frequent and desperate, but Steven does not reply. One morning, Bob awakens and finds he cannot feel his legs; he has become paralyzed. Steven and Anna rush him to the hospital, where an examination reveals that nothing is physically wrong. Meanwhile, Kim meets with Martin for a date.

The next morning, Martin meets Steven and reveals the truth: his father did not die in the crash but had died during surgery that Steven himself performed after the accident. Steven failed to save his father, and the boy blames the surgeon for the death. Martin explains that, to "balance" the act of destroying a family, Steven must kill one of the members of his own. If not, the Murphys will slowly die after four stages; paralysis is the first stage. Steven attempts to dismiss these claims, but later finds that Bob is refusing food: this is the second stage. Kim also loses the use of her legs and the will to eat.

Kim receives a call from Martin at the hospital. During the conversation, she regains the use of her legs, only to lose mobility again when the connection is broken. This convinces Anna that Martin has power. She visits Martin to ask why she and her children must suffer for Steven's mistakes. Martin responds that "it's the only thing...that's close to justice". Anna, suspecting that her formerly alcoholic husband may have drunk on the day of the operation, speaks to Steven's anesthesiologist, Matthew, who reveals that Steven did in fact have a few drinks that morning. Anna performs a handjob on Matthew as payment for the information. At Anna's insistence, the children are transported to their home, where they are fed through a tube. Steven then kidnaps Martin, brutally beating him and demanding that he reverse the condition of the children. Martin is unaffected, warning Steven that time is running out.

Martin's presence only exacerbates the tension in the household: Kim and Bob argue over who their father will choose; and Anna claims that killing one of the children is clearly the only option, as they can have another. Kim attempts to save herself by escaping and crawling through the neighborhood. Steven and Anna retrieve her. The next morning, Anna releases Martin as holding him captive was no use. Bob begins bleeding from the eyes—the final stage before death. Rather than choose, Steven binds Kim, Bob, and Anna to chairs, covers their heads, and pulls a woolen hat over his own face. He loads a rifle, spins in circles, and fires. The first two shots miss, but the third kills Bob.

Some time later, the family visits the same diner where Steven met with Martin. Martin enters and stares at them; he and the family briefly lock eyes and the Murphys leave as Martin gazes after them.

Cast

Production

On May 11, 2016, it was announced that Colin Farrell had been cast in the film, with Yorgos Lanthimos directing from a screenplay he had written with Efthymis Filipou. Film4 Productions and Element Pictures produced the project.[4] In June 2016, Nicole Kidman was cast in the film,[5] and in August 2016, Alicia Silverstone, Raffey Cassidy, Bill Camp, Barry Keoghan, and Sunny Suljic also joined.[6]

Filming

As of August 23, 2016, the film had begun principal photography in Cincinnati, filming at The Christ Hospital.[7] It was also shot in the Hyde Park and Northside neighborhoods.[8] The school scenes in the film were shot at Roger Bacon High School.

Release

In May 2016, A24 acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film.[9] The same month, Haut et Court acquired French rights.[10] It had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 22, 2017.[11][12][13] Lanthimos and Filippou won the Best Screenplay award at the festival.[14]

The film was theatrically released in the United States on October 20, 2017[15][16] and in the United Kingdom and Ireland on November 3, 2017.

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating 80%, based on 241 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The Killing of a Sacred Deer continues director Yorgos Lanthimos' stubbornly idiosyncratic streak—and demonstrates again that he is a talent not to be ignored."[17] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating, the film has a weighted average score of 73 out of 100, based on 45 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[18]

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) and nominee(s) Result Ref.
AACTA International Awards January 6, 2018 Best Supporting Actress Nicole Kidman Nominated [19]
Cannes Film Festival May 26, 2017 Palme D'Or Yorgos Lanthimos Nominated [20]
Best Screenplay Award Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou Won
European Film Awards December 10, 2017 Best European Actor Colin Farrell Nominated [21]
Best European Director Yorgos Lanthimos Nominated
Best European Screenwriter Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou Nominated
Evening Standard British Film Awards February 8, 2018 Best Supporting Actor Barry Keoghan Nominated [22]
Florida Film Critics Circle December 23, 2017 Best Supporting Actor Barry Keoghan Nominated [23]
[24]
Ghent International Film Festival Ghent October 20, 2017 Grand Prix – Best Film Yorgos Lanthimos Nominated [25]
Filmfest Hamburg October 14, 2017 Sichtwechsel Film Award Yorgos Lanthimos Nominated [26]
Independent Spirit Awards March 3, 2018 Best Supporting Male Barry Keoghan Nominated [27]
Best Cinematography Thimios Bakatakis Nominated
London Film Critics Circle January 28, 2018 British/Irish Actor of the Year Colin Farrell (also for The Beguiled) Nominated [28]
Seattle Film Critics Society December 18, 2017 Best Supporting Actor Barry Keoghan Nominated [29]
Villain of the Year Barry Keoghan (as Martin) Nominated
Sitges Film Festival October 14, 2017 Best Film The Killing of a Sacred Deer Nominated [30]
José Luis Guarner Critics' Award The Killing of a Sacred Deer Won

References

  1. 1 2 "The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)". The Numbers. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  2. ↑ Lincoln, Kevin (October 27, 2017). "The Ancient Greek Plays That Explain How The Killing of a Sacred Deer Got Its Title". Vulture. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  3. ↑ Lane, Anthony (October 30, 2017). "'The Killing of a Sacred Deer' and 'The Square'". The Current Cinema (column). New Yorker. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  4. ↑ Lodderhose, Diana (May 11, 2016). "Cannes: Colin Farrell Reunites With Yorgos Lanthimos for 'The Killing of a Sacred Deer' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  5. ↑ McNary, Dave (June 15, 2016). "Nicole Kidman in Talks to Join Colin Farrell in 'Killing of a Sacred Deer'". Variety. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  6. ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (August 23, 2016). "Alicia Silverstone Joins Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman in 'Killing of a Sacred Deer'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  7. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (August 23, 2016). "Farrell, Kidman begin shoot on Yorgos Lanthimos drama". Screen Daily. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  8. ↑ Vicar, Nathan. "Movie filmed in Cincinnati booed at Cannes". Fox19. Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  9. ↑ Jafaar, Ali (May 11, 2016). "A24 Picks Up Yorgos Lanthimos' 'The Killing of a Sacred Deer' – Cannes". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  10. ↑ Jafaar, Ali (May 16, 2016). "Haut et Court Acquires French Rights to Yorgos Lanthimos' 'The Killing of a Sacred Deer' – Cannes". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  11. ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy; Evans, Greg (April 13, 2017). "Cannes Lineup: Todd Haynes, Sofia Coppola, Noah Baumbach, 'Twin Peaks'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
  12. ↑ "The 2017 Official Selection". Cannes. 13 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  13. ↑ "2017 Cannes Film Festival Announces Lineup: Todd Haynes, Sofia Coppola, 'Twin Peaks' and More". IndieWire. 13 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  14. ↑ Debruge, Peter (28 May 2017). "2017 Cannes Film Festival Award Winners Announced". Variety. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  15. ↑ Lee, Ashley (April 14, 2017). "A24 Sets Colin Farrell's 'Killing of a Sacred Deer' for November Release". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  16. ↑ Miska, Brad (July 31, 2017). "A24 Shifts 'The Killing of the Sacred Deer' Release". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  17. ↑ "The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  18. ↑ "The Killing of a Sacred Deer reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  19. ↑ McNary, Dave (January 5, 2018). "'Three Billboards' Wins Best Film at Australian Academy International Awards". Variety. Archived from the original on January 6, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  20. ↑ "Best screenplay award: Yorgos LANTHIMOS – THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER". Cannes Film Festival. May 28, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  21. ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (November 4, 2017). "European Film Awards Nominations: 'The Square', 'Loveless', 'On Body And Soul' & More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
  22. ↑ Dex, Robert (January 13, 2018). "Discover all the nominations for this year's Evening Standard British Film Awards". London Evening Standard. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  23. ↑ "'The Shape of Water' Leads 2017 Florida Film Critics Awards Nominations". Florida Film Critics Circle. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  24. ↑ "2017 FFCC Winners". Florida Film Critics Circle. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  25. ↑ Kakar, Arun (September 1, 2017). "Film Fest Gent competition line up includes 'Killing Of A Sacred Deer', 'Call Me By Your Name'". Screen Daily. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  26. ↑ "The Killing Of A Sacred Deer Hamburg". Filmfest Hamburg. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  27. ↑ Lewis, Hilary (November 21, 2017). "2018 Independent Spirit Award Nominations Revealed". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  28. ↑ Ramos, Dino-Ray (January 28, 2018). "'Three Billboards' Wins Film Of The Year At London Critics' Circle Awards". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
  29. ↑ "'Blade Runner 2049 Leads the 2017 Seattle Film Critics Society Nominations". Seattle Film Critics Society. December 11, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  30. ↑ "The fantastic fable 'Jupiter's Moon' wins Sitges 2017". Sitges Film Festival. October 14, 2017. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
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