The Killing of a Sacred Deer

Never judge a book by it's cover, or for that fact, never judge a film by it's title. The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017), directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, might have the most evocative title for a film this year but the film goes beyond its title to areas both uncomfortable and horrific. The story revolves around Steven Murphy (Colin Farrell) and his family. Steven, a wealthy cardiovascular surgeon seems to have everything that one could want in life; riches, family, job security and the illusion of safety. That illusion is brought to him, and us, by Martin (Barry Keoghan). Martin is a 16 year old who seems to have no reasonable connection to Steven but as the film progresses we learn that, for Steven, the relationship is necessary with evil intentions. So you might be wondering, what does this have to do with killing a sacred deer?

Lanthimos provides the metaphorical title that we are to explore its meaning as the film progresses. The metaphors can also extend to Lanthimos style, which can be seen as very cold and uniform. Humanity seems to be lacking, especially through the characters interactions, it seems at times we are watching robots interact. This dryness and austere quality is nothing but a mask for deeper emotions and secrets that the characters internalize. Steven's family consists of his wife Anna (Nicole Kidman) son Bob (Sunny Suljic) and teenage daughter Kim (Raffey Cassidy). Steven and Anna put on the appearance of dutiful parents who try and be in control of all aspects of their children's life. They are schedule freaks whose relationship with their children has the appearance of success and dutifulness. Steven gives praise to his kids for their success while at the same time pushing them to be better. Which comes across as over bearing at first but later takes on a greater meaning. While Lanthimos shows us the family dynamic he seems to be showing us the structure of their relationships while also showing how easily things can fall apart. When we witness the breakdown of the family we begin to understand not only the design of the family but also  the reason behind Lanthimos design of their relationship. When Martin is introduced into the family dynamic it is then the facade of the successful family begins to crack away.

Martin's introduction to the Murphy family leads to the slow destruction of the family unit while also allowing us to understand what the sacred deer is. Martin's innocent introduction is nothing more than a cruel act, he is like an imp whose purpose is to push Steven to the breaking point. Lanthimos does not make the reasoning for Martin and his actions easy for us, and gratefully so for us. There are aspects to the Murphy families issues that are comedic and twisted while at the same time horrific. Lanthimos makes the journey uncomfortable, especially through the soundtrack of the film. At times the music is reminiscent of The Shining, timpani pitch rolls and high pitch strings and all. The music, acting and cinematography creates a dissonance of emotion that can put the viewer in some uncomfortable places.

It is in these uncomfortable places that we witness Steven struggle with what he finds sacred. Though he seems to be a cold figure that is at times distant from his family, his love and protection for his family grows as he fights for his family's survival. But the fight for survival comes at some great costs. Not just physically but also psychologically. What Lanthimos seems to show is that success in life is not without sacrifice, and those sacrifice's sometimes come at the cost of others. Steven may be proficient in being able to fix other peoples hearts but there are some matters of the heart that can not be fixed. The Killing of a Sacred Deer allows us to understand what sacred means. But in order to understand the sacred we have to go into dark territory and navigate it for a while. Once we have finished with that territory we, as well as the Murphy family in the film, are left to move on in silence.