THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER SPEC D: Yorgos Lanthimos. Ireland/ UK. 120 min. Sep 9, 9 pm, Elgin Sep 10, 11:15 am, Princess of Wales. Rating: NNNN
In Lanthimos’s unsettling, gripping homage to Greek tragedy, a 16-year-old boy (Barry Keoghan) whose father died on the operating table takes revenge on a cardiac surgeon (Colin Farrell), with dire consequences.
There is no more rigorous filmmaker working today than Lanthimos, and here he again creates a singular universe with its own internal logic. Every line in the film, from the most mundane to the most crucially relevant, is spoken in a flat, matter-of-fact, otherworldly tone. This only adds to the impact of the horror as he deliciously explores his premise and doubles down on his attack on the hypocrisy and smugness of the bourgeoisie.
Essential to maintaining the powerful atmospherics is the superb cast, which includes Nicole Kidman as the surgeon’s unsuspecting wife.
