(3.5 / 5)
Brutal.
What is it with all the depressing press screenings i’m attending these days? Berlin Syndrome, Mother! and now The Killing of A Sacred Deer, I’m going to need therapy if this trend continues!
Steven (Colin Farrell) is a heart surgeon with a wife (Nicole Kidman) and family, who has taken pity on Martin (Barry Keoghan) after his father died during an operation he performed. But there’s far more to this unlikely connection than anyone has realised.
It’s quite a coincidence to see Kidman and Farrell together again so soon after The Beguiled was released. You may recall Barry Keoghan from Dunkirk. I thought his acting was terrific in this, and then after checking I found out he’s actually a 24 year old Irishman – yet he’s playing a young American teenager flawlessly.
One thing you’ll notice straight away is that everyone delivers their lines so clinically. It makes for a uniquely eerie setting because it’s much harder to read people’s feelings and intentions. There’s a sharp backing track as the tension mounts – very Psycho-esque.
I have some reservations with regards to aspects of the storyline didn’t make sense or were unclear, and the ending wasn’t as satisfying as I would have liked – so I have rated it accordingly. But this is still definitely worth a look!
The Killing of a Sacred Deer is released in Sweden on 10 November.