‘The Killing of a Sacred Deer’ Trailer: You Won’t Be Able to Forget Yorgos Lanthimos’ Most Disturbing Film

With “The Killing of a Sacred Deer,” Yorgos Lanthimos has made his own disturbing version of Michael Haneke’s “Funny Games.” The horror-drama first made waves at the Cannes Film Festival in May, where IndieWire’s David Ehrlich called it the scariest film of Lanthimos’ career, and it caused quite a reaction during more showings at TIFF and Fantastic Fest this month. Audiences won’t have to wait long to see the film, as it opens in October, but A24 has dropped a new trailer that is more or less a warning sign about how messed up this movie really is.

“Sacred Deer” stars Colin Farrell as a surgeon whose life unravels after he befriends the son of a former patient. The son is played by “Dunkirk” star Barry Keoghan in a performance of such unsettling intensity that you won’t be able to get his face out of your head. Nicole Kidman plays Farrell’s wife, while Sunny Suljic and Raffey Cassidy star as his children.

Lanthimos has proven himself to be a master of atmosphere in previous efforts like “Dogtooth” and “The Lobster,” but “Sacred Deer” shows how much of a master of control he is in terms of sustaining tension. The entire movie feels like a fist being clenched as the plot grows more screwed up by the second.

“The Killing of a Sacred Deer” opens in October 20. Watch the new trailer below.