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The Killing of a Sacred Deer
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The Killing of a Sacred Deer
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
Yorgos Lanthimos
Produced by
Ed Guiney
Yorgos Lanthimos
Written by
Yorgos Lanthimos
Efthymis Filippou
Starring
Colin Farrell
Nicole Kidman
Barry Keoghan
Raffey Cassidy
Sunny Suljic
Alicia Silverstone
Bill Camp
Cinematography
Thimios Bakatakis
Edited by
Yorgos Mavropsaridis
Production
company
Film4
New Sparta Films
HanWay Films
Bord Scannán na hÉireann/The Irish Film Board
Element Pictures
Limp
Distributed by
A24
Curzon Artificial Eye
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
United States
Language
English
Box office
$4.3 million[1]
The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a 2017 psychological horror 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 (played by Farrell) who secretly befriends a teenage boy with a connection to his past. He introduces the boy to his family, who then 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 $4.28 million worldwide.[4]
Contents
[hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production
3.1 Filming
4 Release
4.1 Critical response
4.2 Accolades
5 References
6 External links
Plot[edit]
Steven Murphy, a skilled cardiothoracic surgeon, finishes an open heart surgery, and later goes to a diner where he meets a teenage boy named Martin. The precise nature of their relationship is unexplained. Afterward, Steven returns home to his wife, Anna, and their children, Kim and Bob. The next day, Steven reveals his connection to Martin, claiming he is a schoolmate of Kim's, when Martin unexpectedly comes to speak with Steven at the hospital. Steven later privately 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. At Steven's suggestion, Martin comes to the Murphy household for dinner; Kim seems particularly taken with him.
Martin returns the favor by inviting Steven to his mother's home for dinner. After the meal, Steven attempts to leave, but Martin insists he stay and watch a movie with them. Martin leaves halfway through the film, and his mother makes a sexual advance on Steven, who quickly 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 a full neurological examination reveals that nothing is physically wrong. Though, he briefly recovers, Bob remains unable to walk. While the elder Murphys tend to Bob, Kim meets with Martin for a date.
The next morning, Martin visits Bob in the hospital and demands that Steven speak to him in private. The two retreat to the cafeteria, where Martin reveals the truth: his father did not die immediately, as Steven told his wife, but during surgery that Steven himself performed after the crash. Steven failed to save Martin's father, and the boy bluntly tells Steven that he blames the cardiologist for the death. He further explains that, to "balance" the act of destroying a family, Steven must kill one of the members of his own. Martin goes on to explain that he has placed a curse upon the Murphys that will gradually kill them through a series of stages unless Steven makes his choice and murders one of them; the paralysis is the first of these four stages. Steven attempts to dismiss these seemingly wild claims, but later finds that Bob is refusing food—this is the second stage of Martin's curse. Kim later loses the use of her legs during a choir practice and also will not eat.
Kim receives a phone call from Martin at the hospital. During the conversation, Kim abruptly regains the use of her legs, only to lose mobility again when the connection is broken. This seems to convince Anna of Martin's power, and she travels to his home to directly ask why she and her children must suffer for Steven's mistakes. The unrepentant Martin cannot answer, simply remarking that "it's the only thing I can think of that's close to justice". Anna, further suspecting that her formerly alcoholic husband may have imbibed on the day of the operation, speaks to Steven's anesthesiologist, who reveals that Steven did in fact have a few drinks that morning, with Anna sexually gratifying him as payment for the information. At Anna's insistence, the children are transported to their home, where they are continually fed though an NG tube. Anna and Steven fight over the situation, with Steven refusing to believe that anything supernatural is happening. That night, he kidnaps Martin and binds him to a chair in the basement, brutally beating him and demanding that he undo his hold on the children. Martin remains unflappable, warning Steven that time is running out.
Martin's presence only exacerbates the tension in the household: Kim and Bob argue with each other over who their father will choose; Steven tries to gather information to make the decision; 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 traveling to the basement to see Martin, demanding that he free her again so that they may run away together. Her strategy fails and she tries to escape herself by crawling through the neighborhood. Steven and Anna save her. The next morning, Anna releases Martin while Steven sleeps, pointing out that holding him captive was of no use. Later that day, Bob begins bleeding from the eyes—the final stage of the curse before death. Rather than choose, Steven binds Kim, Bob, and Anna to chairs in the living room, covers their heads, and pulls a black woolen mask over his own face. He next loads a rifle, spins uncontrollably, and fires. The first two shots miss, but the third pierces Bob's heart and kills him.
Some time later, the family visits the same diner where Steven previously met with Martin. As they sit in silence, Martin enters and stares at them; he and the family briefly lock eyes and Kim begins eating before they stand and leave. Martin gazes after them as they walk through the door.
Cast[edit]
Colin Farrell as Steven Murphy, Anna's husband and Bob and Kim's father
Nicole Kidman as Anna Murphy, Steven's wife and Bob and Kim's mother
Barry Keoghan as Martin, a teenager whom Steven meets with
Raffey Cassidy as Kim Murphy, Steven and Anna's daughter and Bob's sister
Sunny Suljic as Bob Murphy, Steven and Anna's son and Kim's brother
Alicia Silverstone as Martin's mother
Bill Camp as Matthew, an anesthesiologist
Production[edit]
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.[5] In June 2016, Nicole Kidman was cast in the film,[6] and in August 2016, Alicia Silverstone, Raffey Cassidy, Bill Camp, Barry Keoghan, and Sunny Suljic also joined.[7]
Filming[edit]
As of August 23, 2016, the film had begun principal photography in Cincinnati, filming at The Christ Hospital.[8] It was also shot in the Hyde Park and Northside neighborhoods.[9] The school scenes in the film were shot at Roger Bacon High School.
Release[edit]
In May 2016, A24 acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film.[10] The same month, Haut et Court acquired French rights.[11] It had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 22, 2017.[12][13][14] Lanthimos and Filippou won the Best Screenplay award at the festival.[15]
The film was theatrically released in the United States on October 20, 2017[16][17] and in the United Kingdom and Ireland on November 3, 2017.
Critical response[edit]
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating 79%, based on 220 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The site'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."[18] 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".[19]
Accolades[edit]
Award
Date of ceremony
Category
Recipient(s) and nominee(s)
Result
Ref.
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
Independent Spirit Awards March 3, 2018 Best Supporting Male Barry Keoghan Pending [22]
Best Cinematography Thimios Bakatakis Pending
Sitges Film Festival October 14, 2017 Best Film The Killing of a Sacred Deer Nominated [23]
José Luis Guarner Critics’ Award Won
References[edit]
Jump up ^ "The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)". The Numbers. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
Jump up ^ Lincoln, Kevin (October 27, 2017). "The Ancient Greek Plays That Explain How The Killing of a Sacred Deer Got Its Title". Vulture.com. Missing or empty |url= (help); |access-date= requires |url= (help)
Jump up ^ Lane, Anthony (October 30, 2017). "'The Killing of a Sacred Deer' and 'The Square'". The Current Cinema (column). New Yorker. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
Jump up ^ "The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)". The Numbers. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
Jump up ^ 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.
Jump up ^ McNary, Dave (June 15, 2016). "Nicole Kidman in Talks to Join Colin Farrell in 'Killing of a Sacred Deer'". Variety. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
Jump up ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (August 23, 2016). "Alicia Silverstone Joins Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman in 'Killing of a Sacred Deer'". Deadline.com. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
Jump up ^ Wiseman, Andreas (August 23, 2016). "Farrell, Kidman begin shoot on Yorgos Lanthimos drama". Screen Daily. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
Jump up ^ Vicar, Nathan. "Movie filmed in Cincinnati booed at Cannes". Retrieved 2017-10-27.
Jump up ^ Jafaar, Ali (May 11, 2016). "A24 Picks Up Yorgos Lanthimos' 'The Killing of a Sacred Deer' – Cannes". Deadline.com. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
Jump up ^ Jafaar, Ali (May 16, 2016). "Haut et Court Acquires French Rights to Yorgos Lanthimos' 'The Killing of a Sacred Deer' – Cannes". Deadline.com. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
Jump up ^ Tartaglione, Nancy; Evans, Greg (April 13, 2017). "Cannes Lineup: Todd Haynes, Sofia Coppola, Noah Baumbach, 'Twin Peaks'". Deadline.com. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
Jump up ^ "The 2017 Official Selection". Cannes. 13 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
Jump up ^ "2017 Cannes Film Festival Announces Lineup: Todd Haynes, Sofia Coppola, 'Twin Peaks' and More". IndieWire. 13 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
Jump up ^ Debruge, Peter (28 May 2017). "2017 Cannes Film Festival Award Winners Announced". Variety. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
Jump up ^ 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.
Jump up ^ Miska, Brad (July 31, 2017). "A24 Shifts 'The Killing of the Sacred Deer' Release". Bloody-Disgusting.com. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
Jump up ^ "The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
Jump up ^ "The Killing of a Sacred Deer reviews". CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
Jump up ^ "Best screenplay award: : Yorgos LANTHIMOS - THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER". May 28, 2017.
Jump up ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (November 4, 2017). "European Film Awards Nominations: 'The Square', 'Loveless', 'On Body And Soul' & More". Deadline. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
Jump up ^ Lewis, Hilary (November 21, 2017). "2018 Independent Spirit Award Nominations Revealed". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
Jump up ^ "The fantastic fable 'Jupiter's Moon' wins Sitges 2017". Sitges Film Festival. October 14, 2017.
External links[edit]
The Killing of a Sacred Deer on IMDb
[show]
v
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Films directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
My Best Friend (2001)
Kinetta (2005)
Dogtooth (2009)
Alps (2011)
The Lobster (2015)
The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
The Favourite (2018)
[show]
v
t
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Iphigenia in Aulis and Iphigenia in Tauris by Euripides
Iphigenia's family
Agamemnon (father)
Clytemnestra (mother)
Aegisthus (stepfather)
Orestes (brother)
Electra (sister)
Chrysothemis (sister)
Iphigenia in Aulis
Operas
Iphigénie en Aulide (1774, Gluck)
Plays
Iphigénie (1674)
Film
Iphigenia (1977)
Novel
The Songs of the Kings
Trilogy
The Bacchae
Alcmaeon in Corinth
Related
Bash: Latter-Day Plays
The Killing of a Sacred Deer
Iphigenia in Tauris
Operas
Iphigénie en Tauride (1699, Desmarets and Campra)
Ifigenia in Tauride (1771, Jommelli)
Iphigénie en Tauride (1779, Gluck)
discography
Iphigénie en Tauride (1781, Piccinni)
Plays
Iphigenia in Tauris (1779)
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