1/11/18 - Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) - 6+/7-/10

A bizarre and unsettling experience, as one might suspect and expect from the unusual mind of the Dogtooth and The Lobster creator. This revenge (maybe) tale of a boy and his nigh-inhuman tampering with a doctor and his family will undoubtedly leave you chilled and disconnected, shuddering in the icy embrace of the indecipherable and inscrutable.

All elements from casting, to camera placement, to eerie dialogue foster such a creepy aesthetic. It is so naturalistic but in a rare and inhuman way. Almost like an alien interpretation of human emotions, speech, and interactions. The disconcerting high angle shots, eerie movements and off-kilter feeling reminds me of The Shining. And let us not forget, the straining string music that is almost too much of a distressing tension setter.

Lanthimos always gives me something to wrestle with. I can never be sure if I like it, but I envy its complexity and  foreignness. He has such a unique voice and storytelling desire/design. So difficult not to appreciate its distinctness.

He builds vile corrupted and unsettling worlds with an almost mechanized weirdness. There is something so off about everything. The way the characters talk, decisions they make, the repercussions, the offset of the camera and music. There is a truth that strips away social fluff & edifice and speaks directly, but it is all so alien. Love it or loath it, Killing is worth the watch.