The Killing of a Sacred Deer

Name: The Killing of a Sacred Deer
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Horror
Released: October 20, 2017
Duration: 121 min
Rating: 73
Cast: Alicia Silverstone, Anita Farmer Bergman, Barry Keoghan, Bill Camp, Colin Farrell

2017

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 45 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 246 Ratings

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6.8

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6.8	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 246 Ratings

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The Killing Of A Sacred Deer

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Movie Details & Credits

A24 | Release Date: October 20, 2017 | R

Starring: Alicia Silverstone, Anita Farmer Bergman, Barry Keoghan, Bill Camp, Colin Farrell, Denise Barone, Dori Lucas, Jerry Pope, Josephine Elle, Lea Hutton Beasmore, Megan Chelf Fisher, Ming Wang, Nicole Kidman, Rachael Mcadams, Raffey Cassidy, Sunny Suljic, William Cross, William Willet

Summary: Dr. Steven Murphy (Colin Farrell) is a renowned cardiovascular surgeon presiding over a spotless household with his ophthalmologist wife Anna (Nicole Kidman) and their two exemplary children, 12-year-old Bob (Sunny Suljic) and 14-year-old Kim (Raffey Cassidy). Lurking at the margins of his idyllic suburban existence is Martin (BarryDr. Steven Murphy (Colin Farrell) is a renowned cardiovascular surgeon presiding over a spotless household with his ophthalmologist wife Anna (Nicole Kidman) and their two exemplary children, 12-year-old Bob (Sunny Suljic) and 14-year-old Kim (Raffey Cassidy). Lurking at the margins of his idyllic suburban existence is Martin (Barry Keoghan), 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.… Expand

Director: Giorgos Lanthimos

Genre(s): Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Horror

Rating: R

Runtime: 121 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Andrew Lowry

Nov 3, 2017

Working as a profound meditation on karma, predestination and guilt and a proper scary movie, this is near career-best work from all involved. Be warned: this is tough stuff. Read full review

Britt Hayes

Sep 23, 2017

You can see very clearly where The Killing of a Sacred Deer is headed, but it takes a protracted path to get there, prolonging our discomfort until the very act of watching the film feels like its own bleakly comedic exercise. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Brian Tallerico

Sep 13, 2017

The result is a mesmerizing thriller, a movie that asks questions with no good answers and traps us within its terrifying and bizarre situation with little hope for a happy ending. With uniformly great performances throughout the cast and Lanthimos’ stunning eye for detail and composition, this is one of the most unforgettable films of the year. Read full review

Tim Grierson

Oct 19, 2017

The Killing of a Sacred Deer is endlessly watchable but only intermittently arresting—you’re held captive by its craftsmanship, even if you find yourself not particularly invested in how it all plays out. Read full review

Richard Roeper

Oct 26, 2017

The Killing of a Sacred Deer never hedges its bets, never takes its foot off the gas. The same can be said of the actors, from skilled veterans Farrell and Kidman to young Barry Keoghan. Read full review

Chris Nashawaty

Nov 2, 2017

Farrell delivers his lines with the same replicant monotone he used in The Lobster. And Kidman, the only cast member who expresses recognizably human emotions, extends her recent hot streak. But even she’s not enough to give this head-scratcher any real life. Read full review

Calvin Wilson

Nov 9, 2017

This is the feel-bad film of the year. Recommend it to someone you hate. Read full review

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User Reviews

Mr_Maldoror

Oct 20, 2017

Favourite film of the year. It's best not to discuss the events of the movie, as going in fresh really added to the enjoyment. I will say that it's visceral, demented, unique, and surprisingly funny at many turns. It's not for everyone, and when I saw it at TIFF, there were plenty ofFavourite film of the year. It's best not to discuss the events of the movie, as going in fresh really added to the enjoyment. I will say that it's visceral, demented, unique, and surprisingly funny at many turns. It's not for everyone, and when I saw it at TIFF, there were plenty of walkouts. But if you are used to Yorgos Lanthimos' deadpan lunacy, then you should be at home with this one.… Expand

9 of 14 users found this helpful95

Panchogul

Jun 22, 2019

Es una de esas películas que si no prestas atención desde el principio simplemente no la podrás apreciar correctamente, hay ciertas cosas que no logré entender, pero la atmósfera, la tensión e incertidumbre fueron bien logrados para mi.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

LegitSalt

May 6, 2020

The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a weighty movie, in presentation and delivery. So much hangs on each decision that the world around the characters perpetually threatens to crash around them. The lofty weight that these hovering decisions bear is shown directly through the camera work. EachThe Killing of a Sacred Deer is a weighty movie, in presentation and delivery. So much hangs on each decision that the world around the characters perpetually threatens to crash around them. The lofty weight that these hovering decisions bear is shown directly through the camera work. Each shot leaves vast amounts of the screen empty above the characters. The Killing of a Sacred Deer is technically sci-fi but is very bound within reality. The somatosensory ailments that the characters suffer from follow suit with existing conditions, only differing in their exaggeration. Colin Farrell (Steven Murphy) and Barry Keoghan (Martin) carry the film. The supporting cast of characters, especially Sunny Suljic, help create a fleshed-out experience, but Farrell and Keoghan are the film’s heavy hitters. The Killing of a Sacred Deer explores the morality of medical science and long-standing grudges. Throughout the film the characters are revealed to be less trustworthy than they let on, even spinning dangerous lies. This web of lies end up entangling Steven and Martin and the former is forced to confront his relation to the latter. Lanthimos proves with this film that he can explore concepts as they currently exist and as their likely future forms. The Killing of a Sacred Deer is an abysmal and solemn piece that leaves a burden weighing down even after its end.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

luke100

Jan 9, 2018

I'm really torn on whether this movie is a 7 or an 8. Consistently intriguing and funny, it's also incredibly bizarre and disturbing. Unlike "Lobster", which gave you a clear idea of what it's about and then developed that idea in some interesting and surprising way, "Sacred Deer" takes aI'm really torn on whether this movie is a 7 or an 8. Consistently intriguing and funny, it's also incredibly bizarre and disturbing. Unlike "Lobster", which gave you a clear idea of what it's about and then developed that idea in some interesting and surprising way, "Sacred Deer" takes a weird plot twist in the middle, leaving you confused in terms of what the hell was this movie actually about. After thinking about it for a longer time, I think it was pretty good, just a bit too bizarre.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

bfoore90

Apr 14, 2020

The movie isn't bad, it is made quite well. The storytelling and screenplay just didn't quite do much for me

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JoeCool

May 12, 2019

It's pretty dark and cold. The monotonous robotic acting and the eerie music is probably meant to come across as really artistic but to me it just made it all so soulless and unreal. I found myself getting less and less interested in the story and its characters and grew quite bored withIt's pretty dark and cold. The monotonous robotic acting and the eerie music is probably meant to come across as really artistic but to me it just made it all so soulless and unreal. I found myself getting less and less interested in the story and its characters and grew quite bored with this movie despite its unpredictabilty.

I saw this after "the favorite" and it's a similarly disturbing movie which I didn't like either. I guess I know to steer well clear of Yorgos Lanthimos movies now.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Broyax

Sep 16, 2020

Un titre pompeux et à rallonge pour un film long comme un jour sans pain et chiant comme un dimanche sous la pluie à Dunkerque dans la zone industrielle. Nul doute que ça peut éventuellement intéresser le public des étudiants bobos et des torche-culs du genre Télérama et Positif qui yUn titre pompeux et à rallonge pour un film long comme un jour sans pain et chiant comme un dimanche sous la pluie à Dunkerque dans la zone industrielle. Nul doute que ça peut éventuellement intéresser le public des étudiants bobos et des torche-culs du genre Télérama et Positif qui y verront un truc « trop profond » au-delà du delà et après mais en l’état pour un public très normal, ça n’inspire que des baillements à s’en décrocher la mâchoire.

La réalisation a été réalisée entièrement sous Prozac à des doses à endormir un mammouth et les dialogues lénifiants dits par des comédiens à l’ouest (drogués, eux aussi, semble-t-il) laissent l’impression d’assister à un défilé de robots qui se comportent comme des automates du siècle dernier. Tout ce petit monde raconte n’importe quoi tandis qu’il ne se passe rien du tout là-dedans, on se demande si on a pas pris des somnifères, nous aussi !

Voilà donc un film ou plutôt un pseudo-film qui se la joue et se la raconte mais passe son temps à péter plus haut que son cul : un film très doué pour brasser du vide et nous faire chier, c’en est carrément incroyable de nullité !… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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76	#76 Most Discussed Movie of 2017
89	#89 Most Shared Movie of 2017