There is no one else on the planet who thinks quite like Yorgos Lanthimos. If there were, cinema would be much more entertaining than it is.
Enter The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Yorgos’ pitch black follow-up to The Lobster. The film follows Lobster star Colin Farrell as Steven, a charismatic surgeon forced to make an unthinkable sacrifice after his life starts to fall apart and the behaviour of a teenage boy he has taken under his wing turns sinister. What exactly that sacrifice entails, as well as what the young man could have done to be considered evil in some way, are a mystery. These details will surely be revealed in the final film, but for now the information provided – as well as the footage you can witness above – should be all you need to be sold on this feature.
Speaking of the footage above, how great is it? Yorgos has always had an eye for imagery, which is probably why this trailer carries a pedigree all its own. From the opening moment you can feel a sense of dread run down your spine. The sensation only intensifies as you see more and more from the film, with each frame seemingly chosen to because it could not be more different than the last. You never know what to feel or who to root for, yet it doesn’t matter because you cannot stop watching.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer currently carries a Fresh score on RottenTomatoes, but to be fair those scores are pulled entirely from festival screenings. Whether or not general audiences care for Yorgos’ latest is another question altogether, and we will not have an answer until the film opens nationwide this fall. For now, comment below and let us know if you plan on seeing this truly unique feature film.
