"The Killing of a Sacred Deer"

Yorgos Lanthimos has been getting the praise he deserves with his latest film "The Favourite". His work, prior to this Academy Award nominee, is none-other than unique. "The Killing of a Sacred Deer" is not any different. Having had won There will be no spoilers ahead and the plot will no be discussed in depth but rather kept superficial because watching this movie with as little information as possible is the way to go.

With that being said, Steven Murphy (Colin Farrell), a charismatic surgeon, is to make a decision that will ultimately lead to the death of his wife (Nicole Kidman), his daughter (Raffey Cassidy), or his son (Sunny Suljic). It's a horror movie that explores a family's way of trying to find the best solution to dead-end problem. The story is based on the Greek tragedy Iphigenia at Aulis, a tale about "an eye for and eye". This Greek play is crucial to the understanding of this movie as Yorgos Lanthimos transplants this story into a 21st century version of it. And even though the characters, the setting, and the plot are different, the entire concept is still the same.

The characters are very well developed and given a sense of purpose, especially Martin. Barry Keoghan does an incredible job portraying this damaged teenager who seeks revenge on his father's killer. Not to mention Nicole Kidman's performance, which gained her a nomination at the AACTA International Award. Very actor belonged to their roles and even though every character fits in the puzzle perfectly, Martin's mother (Alicia Silverstone) felt rather a little undeveloped. For the short time Silverstone was on screen, her perfomance also felt true to her character. Lanthimos should've given her characterr more layers and perhaps a heavier, more believable impact on the story. Nevertheless, this is just a minor observation that in no way jeopardized the movie.

As of the artistic choices: they're great. Every shot in this movie feels as if it had a purpose. With its perfect symmetry showing the clear subject and beautiful imagery. As well as the long takes with a steady cam through the hallways of the hospital, the cinematography manages to create a feeling of uneasiness. Not to mention the distant camera shot, leaving the subjects in a safe distance, trying to never be obtrusive. The raw sounds combined with the suspenseful soundtrack form a crude effect. In the same way, the dialogue is something very distinguishable because it's different. Some characters talk in a very robotic manner, very direct. Not only does this add to the unfamiliarity but also to the tone. All of these factors- the cinematography, the sound, and the dialogue- they all make the tone pretty clear from the start of the movie to the end.

As much as this movie shows the audience how crazy the Greek director's mind is, it might be a good thing for some but also bad for others. This movie is very dark in the way that it's physiologically messed up. The topics that occur in this movie may just make some people feel too uncomfortable. But then again, this is the same director that did the sci-fi romance "The Lobster", another original, mind-boggling masterpiece, so anything could happen. However, unlike "The Lobster", this film does not contain the subtle, ongoing comedy. No, like said before, this is a horror movie.

This is a very unpredictable movie, it's not like other movies and that's the reason for this review to be spoiler-free. With other movies, some things are predictable and one kind of has an idea of where things are going, but not with this one. "The Killing of a Scared Deer" literally grabs the audience's brains and plays with them. And that is why this movie is worth the watch. Not into horror because of the jump scares or scary looking creatures? This is not that type of horror. This is horror with a purpose. With a lesson to teach. A horror about revenge.

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