This movie is easily the strangest I've seen in a while. I wasn't sure how or when I was going to see it but it intrigued me a lot so I found the time to see it today and I was quite impressed. This film was written, directed, and produced by Yorgos Lanthimos, the Greek writer/director behind The Lobster.
It's best to know very little going into this film so I won't give away much. The film follows a surgeon that's life gets turned around when he starts spending a lot of time with a teenage boy and strange things begin happening to his family. Another reason I don't want to talk about plot much is that it is really a hard plot to unravel and explain, so I'm going to go straight into my thoughts on the film.
I haven't seen any of Lanthimos' other work, but I am undoubtedly going to soon. He has a unique style, having his actors speak in a strange monotone voice and a lot of moving shots of people staring and sitting completely still. This film's cinematography is excellent as each shot captures the moments perfectly and a lot of great camera movement is utilized. Those aspects work hand in hand with one of the best scores of the year to bring an unrelenting feeling of discomfort to the film. This score is honestly terrifying, I don't know who the composer was but they did an incredible job. This movie is a lot scarier than it may seem. It isn't the fun jump scare horror movie but is instead a movie that gives you an unsettling feeling and shows you a lot of unforgettable imagery. This is a bizarre case of a film that is very hard to watch but also impossible to take your eyes off of, which I commend it for strongly. I also really love the script to this film, as it takes some unique turns and provides very interesting dialogue. I think the editing needs to be appreciated as well, as transitions are done often in a way that gives the film an overall solid flow.
Colin Farrell plays the surgeon and father in this film and does a truly incredible job. We see the struggles he has to face due to this situation, and he portrays it well while working within the style Lanthimos uses. If we're being honest though, my favourite performance in this film was Nicole Kidman as Farrell's wife. She is a character that is fully involved in the film's drama but takes an outsider role to some aspects of the plot, and the way she pulls that off is incredible to watch. I'd say the one playing the most into Lanthimos' style is Barry Keoghan as the teenager Farrell's character becomes acquainted with. His character at first is just bizarre, but as the story and his motivations unfold he becomes an incredibly compelling character. This film also features a brief but effective performance from Alicia Silverstone, something rare nowadays but still really great to see.
The way the actors in this film play into the monotonous style utilized by Lanthimos works surprisingly very well, and the score and imagery bring a haunting sense of unease. The main issue I have with this film is the pacing hit it takes progressing to the third act. It moves at a steady pace for a while but at a point it starts to drag until a great finale. I also can't say I love the film because it is quite upsetting. You see a lot of unsettling things matched with an unsettling score and it makes it an intriguing but at times unpleasant watch. This is by zero means a film for everyone, but it is definitely a film I would recommend.
PS: No sacred deer are killed in this movie
Rating: 4.2/5
Written by Matt McKenzie
It's best to know very little going into this film so I won't give away much. The film follows a surgeon that's life gets turned around when he starts spending a lot of time with a teenage boy and strange things begin happening to his family. Another reason I don't want to talk about plot much is that it is really a hard plot to unravel and explain, so I'm going to go straight into my thoughts on the film.
I haven't seen any of Lanthimos' other work, but I am undoubtedly going to soon. He has a unique style, having his actors speak in a strange monotone voice and a lot of moving shots of people staring and sitting completely still. This film's cinematography is excellent as each shot captures the moments perfectly and a lot of great camera movement is utilized. Those aspects work hand in hand with one of the best scores of the year to bring an unrelenting feeling of discomfort to the film. This score is honestly terrifying, I don't know who the composer was but they did an incredible job. This movie is a lot scarier than it may seem. It isn't the fun jump scare horror movie but is instead a movie that gives you an unsettling feeling and shows you a lot of unforgettable imagery. This is a bizarre case of a film that is very hard to watch but also impossible to take your eyes off of, which I commend it for strongly. I also really love the script to this film, as it takes some unique turns and provides very interesting dialogue. I think the editing needs to be appreciated as well, as transitions are done often in a way that gives the film an overall solid flow.
Colin Farrell plays the surgeon and father in this film and does a truly incredible job. We see the struggles he has to face due to this situation, and he portrays it well while working within the style Lanthimos uses. If we're being honest though, my favourite performance in this film was Nicole Kidman as Farrell's wife. She is a character that is fully involved in the film's drama but takes an outsider role to some aspects of the plot, and the way she pulls that off is incredible to watch. I'd say the one playing the most into Lanthimos' style is Barry Keoghan as the teenager Farrell's character becomes acquainted with. His character at first is just bizarre, but as the story and his motivations unfold he becomes an incredibly compelling character. This film also features a brief but effective performance from Alicia Silverstone, something rare nowadays but still really great to see.
The way the actors in this film play into the monotonous style utilized by Lanthimos works surprisingly very well, and the score and imagery bring a haunting sense of unease. The main issue I have with this film is the pacing hit it takes progressing to the third act. It moves at a steady pace for a while but at a point it starts to drag until a great finale. I also can't say I love the film because it is quite upsetting. You see a lot of unsettling things matched with an unsettling score and it makes it an intriguing but at times unpleasant watch. This is by zero means a film for everyone, but it is definitely a film I would recommend.
PS: No sacred deer are killed in this movie
Rating: 4.2/5
Written by Matt McKenzie
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