The Killing of a Sacred Deer

The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a 2017 psychological horror thriller film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Barry Keoghan, Raffey Cassidy, Sunny Suljic, Alicia Silverstone, and Bill Camp. The screenplay by Lanthimos and Efthymis Filippou was inspired by the ancient Greek tragedy Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides, and follows a cardiac surgeon who introduces his family to a teenage boy with a connection to his past, after which they mysteriously begin to fall ill. The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section of the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. It was theatrically released in the United States by A24 on 20 October 2017, and in the United Kingdom and Ireland by Curzon Artificial Eye on 3 November. Critical response to the film was mostly positive, and it grossed over $7 million worldwide. Plot After performing an open heart surgery, Steven Murphy, a cardiothoracic surgeon in Cincinnati, goes to a dinner to meet 16-year-old Martin Lang, whose father died a few years earlier. Steven then goes home to his wife, Anna, and their children, Kim, who is 14, and Bob, who is younger. Steven invites Martin to meet his family, and Martin gets along with everyone, especially Kim. That night, Martin calls to say he has already told his mother that Steven is coming to dinner the next day. That evening, Martin insists Steven stay to watch a movie after the meal, but he leaves partway through to go to bed, and his mother gets amorous with Steven. She says Martin wants it as much as she does, and Steven leaves. Martin visits Steven's office, complaining of chest pain he worries is caused by the same condition that killed his father. The cardiac stress tests Steven runs show nothing wrong, and Martin invites Steven over again, saying his mother finds Steven attractive, but Steven responds that he is happy with his family. After this, Martin's demands for Steven's attention grow increasingly frequent and desperate, and Steven stops responding. He is troubled when Kim tells him that Martin gave her a ride home.