The Psychological Thriller You’ll Watch Again And Again, Stream Without Netflix

Released in 2017, it’s considered an absurdist psychological horror thriller. The Killing of a Sacred Deer is directed and co-written by Yorgos Lanthimos. He’s a Greek director known for his dark films that make you see parts of the world in a new light.

The other writer is Efthimis Filippou. Filippou worked with Lanthimos a few times on some of his more interesting movies, including The Lobster, Alps, and Dogtooth. This was their second film together, with The Lobster, being the first.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer is inspired by an ancient Greek tragedy by Euripides, known as Iphigenia in Aulis. The tragedy focuses on Agamemnon. He is eager to win the war against Troy, but the goddess Artemis isn’t on their side and is slowing down their travels.

It’s so bad that he even sacrifices his daughter. However, when he starts to win the battles against Troy, Agamemnon boasts that he’s at least as good as Artemis herself in battle. This starts a series of events that lead to a rather dark ending for Agamemnon and the rest of his family.

While the story isn’t the same, the elements are there. The Killing of a Sacred Deer follows the story of a surgeon, who begins to bond with a teenager. While all seems fine at first, the boy grows more and more sinister as the time for a sacrifice draws near.

Despite the rather clear plot and obvious ending, you might still find yourself having to watch the movie several times to grasp all of the little details. There is plenty of room for interpretation, which has led to a lot of interesting discussion on sites like Reddit. Not only do those who watch the film discuss the overarching theme of the movie but many little details as well.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer is one of those movies where everyone has slightly different ideas on how the movie ended and what they took away from the film. This makes it a movie worth watching several times to pick up pieces of the story you originally missed, as well as see the story in a different light.

Lanthimos’ movies have a habit of dividing the audience. Some are unable to get the point, while others readily enjoy the symbolism and the way his movies will keep you thinking for days to come.

Joe Lipsett, a critic from Rotten Tomatoes, says it best. “An absurdly funny and dread-filled experience, filled with Lanthimos’ trademark wit and monotone performances. It won’t be for everyone, but The Killing of a Sacred Deer is something unique and special.”

Because of this, though, his movies don’t always have the best ratings. The Killing of a Sacred Deer has a critic average score of 79 percent, and an audience score of 63 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

This unique story is further elevated by a great cast. Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrel play the surgeon and his wife. Raffey Cassidy and Sunny Suljic play their children, and Barry Keoghan is Martin, the sinister young boy.

Interested in this film? Thankfully you don’t have to sign up for any expensive streaming service to get your hands on it. The Killing of a Sacred Deer is available on Tubi for free, with some ads.