The Killing of a Sacred Deer

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The Killing of a Sacred Deer

R

2017

2h 1m

Mystery & Thriller

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

79%

Tomatometer

281 Reviews

63%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Dr. Steven Murphy is a renowned cardiovascular surgeon who presides over a spotless household with his wife and two children. Lurking at the margins of his idyllic suburban existence is Martin, a fatherless teen who insinuates himself into the doctor's life in gradually unsettling ways. Soon, the full scope of Martin's intent becomes menacingly clear when he confronts Steven with a long-forgotten transgression that will shatter his domestic bliss forever.

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Critics Consensus

The Killing of a Sacred Deer continues director Yorgos Lanthimos' stubbornly idiosyncratic streak -- and demonstrates again that his is a talent not to be ignored.

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Robert Daniels

812filmreviews

09/05/2018

3.5/4

Has a doctor ever killed your father, and you used voodoo to get back him? Yea, me too. Yorgos Lanthimos's follow-up to The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, is every bit as creepy, dark, and ironic as the former.

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Namrata Joshi

The Hindu

07/11/2018

The Killing of a Sacred Deer scares, baffles, unsettles, annoys and peels off the happy smokescreen to reveal the discomfiting reality of yet another upper class family.

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Karl Quinn

The Age (Australia)

02/15/2018

4/5

Bleakly brilliant.

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Josh Goller

Spectrum Culture

Mar 24

Yorgos Lanthimos' spare, absurd and tragic film explores the fragility of human constructs and the illusion of control through characters who suppress emotion until they crack and the world crumbles.

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Aoife O'Ceallachain

Film Ireland Magazine

Jan 5

Not for the faint-hearted, Sacred Deer is a good place to start for anyone unfamiliar with Lanthimos’ work, and will not disappoint disciples of the Greek Weird Wave

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David Day

Horror Movie Talk

Aug 11

8/10

f you don’t mind facing some disturbing material and themes, I would recommend anyone who is looking for a seriously solid psychological horror movie to see The Killing of a Sacred Deer.

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Or A

@RT19904944 1d

Colin's portrayal of Dr. Murphy, is outstanding. I have a theory around who and what Martin is. I believe him to be a shaman slowly integrating himself into Murphy's world to summon karmic retribution for his wrongdoings of the past. Murphy is a dark soul who has been responsible for many abuses, including the sexual abuse of his own children and others, the death of multiple "patients" and the rape of many. His past is not fully explored in the film, but you can sense the energetics of his dark past. The accuracy of my new theory makes the film's shocking ending more palatable and somewhat enjoyable. Colin deserved an Oscar nom nom nom! 5.5/5

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W.L. C

@WayneCampbell Jul 17

Another bloated, limping entry in Yorgos' filmography.

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Matt J

@GashBandicoot Jul 14

Slow burn, weird, and unsettling, in all the right ways.

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John A

@GonzoJK Jun 29

Brilliant, chilling premise expertly executed by the cast and director. Barry Keoghan steals the show. I was never impressed by Colin Farell’s one note acting but he was decent in this. Great slow burn paych thriller.

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Daniel S

@RT63353064 Jun 24

Five minutes into this movie I knew that I was going to regret waisting two hours of my life, and I was not wrong.

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Burke H

@RT35341845 Jun 22

This movie is dark and ominous. But ultimately it’s just weird for the sake of being weird. I’d pass on this. It’s gross with some absolutely appalling dialog and won’t deliver whatever you’re hoping for because it doesn’t deliver anything at all.

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Yorgos Lanthimos

Director

Bill Camp

Matthew Williams

Raffey Cassidy

Kim Murphy

Denise Dal Vera

Mary Williams

Colin Farrell

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Synopsis

Dr. Steven Murphy is a renowned cardiovascular surgeon who presides over a spotless household with his wife and two children. Lurking at the margins of his idyllic suburban existence is Martin, a fatherless teen who insinuates himself into the doctor's life in gradually unsettling ways. Soon, the full scope of Martin's intent becomes menacingly clear when he confronts Steven with a long-forgotten transgression that will shatter his domestic bliss forever.

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Producer: Ed Guiney, Yorgos Lanthimos
Screenwriter: Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthimis Filippou
Distributor: A24
Production Co: Element Pictures
Rating: R (Disturbing Violent Content|Disturbing Sexual Content|Language|Some Graphic Nudity)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 20, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 19, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.3M
Runtime: 2h 1m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)