The Killing of a Sacred Deer is the latest film of Yorgos Lanthimos, director of Dogtooth (2009) and The Lobster (2015). He is a unique voice in today’s cinematic landscape, comfortable in making his audience uncomfortable and unafraid to challenge their expectations of both story and humanity. Check here for my initial quick thoughts. It was a horribly uncomfortable experience; not unlike Martin McDonagh’s humour where you simultaneously laugh and question your laughter, though the laughs are more sparse and bitter. Lanthimos’ dialogue often enters what I would perhaps term the hyper-real; it doesn’t sound like what anyone would exactly say but it does perhaps convey what someone might actually think. It is direct and completely un-nuanced and therefore quite shocking at times. Sacred Deer‘s soundtrack makes clever use of a mélange of popular songs and eerie classical numbers that induce dread from the off. I also thoroughly enjoyed the performances in the film; Nicole Kidman as the mother does some of her best work in a while and Barry Keoghan (Dunkirk) as the creepy Martin is definitely one to watch for the future. Colin Farrell as the father is also brilliant and I thought it would be fun to briefly bring your attention to some of my favourite performances of his varied career thus far. In backwards chronological order:
The Lobster (2015) – Farrell plays a single man in a world where single people are sent to a hotel in which they have 45 days to find a partner. The premise is intriguing and bizarre and Farrell plays his downbeat character with real weight and inner sorrow.
Saving Mr. Banks (2013) – in a film that stars Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and Emma Thompson as P.L. Travers, Farrell still manages to standout in his smaller role as the father of P.L. Travers. Definitely my favourite thing about this reasonably enjoyable, slightly above average film.
In Bruges (2008) – perhaps the role he is most well-known for, Farrell here plays a hitman whose last job did not go to plan. His chemistry with both Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes is what really holds this film together and his character’s jittery realism is compelling.
Minority Report (2002) – Farrell stars alongside Tom Cruise in this sci-fi flick that explores pre-crime and interesting questions of guilt and justice. To steal the spotlight from Cruise in any film is a feat, but that is exactly what Farrell does here with his complex character. He also out-acts Max von Sydow which is at another level altogether.
The Draff 