The Killing of a Sacred Deer

Play trailer

1:09

The Killing of a Sacred Deer

R

2017

2h 1m

Mystery & Thriller

Horror

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

79%

Tomatometer

281 Reviews

63%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Dr. Steven Murphy is a renowned cardiovascular surgeon who presides over a spotless household with his wife and two children. Lurking at the margins of his idyllic suburban existence is Martin, a fatherless teen who insinuates himself into the doctor's life in gradually unsettling ways. Soon, the full scope of Martin's intent becomes menacingly clear when he confronts Steven with a long-forgotten transgression that will shatter his domestic bliss forever.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

The Killing of a Sacred Deer continues director Yorgos Lanthimos' stubbornly idiosyncratic streak -- and demonstrates again that his is a talent not to be ignored.

Read Critics Reviews

Robert Daniels

812filmreviews

09/05/2018

3.5/4

Has a doctor ever killed your father, and you used voodoo to get back him? Yea, me too. Yorgos Lanthimos's follow-up to The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, is every bit as creepy, dark, and ironic as the former.

Go to Full Review

Namrata Joshi

The Hindu

07/11/2018

The Killing of a Sacred Deer scares, baffles, unsettles, annoys and peels off the happy smokescreen to reveal the discomfiting reality of yet another upper class family.

Go to Full Review

Karl Quinn

The Age (Australia)

02/15/2018

4/5

Bleakly brilliant.

Go to Full Review

Aoife O'Ceallachain

Film Ireland Magazine

Jan 5

Not for the faint-hearted, Sacred Deer is a good place to start for anyone unfamiliar with Lanthimos’ work, and will not disappoint disciples of the Greek Weird Wave

Go to Full Review

David Day

Horror Movie Talk

Aug 11

8/10

f you don’t mind facing some disturbing material and themes, I would recommend anyone who is looking for a seriously solid psychological horror movie to see The Killing of a Sacred Deer.

Go to Full Review

Jack Walters

Loud and Clear Reviews

01/18/2025

4/5

"The Killing of a Sacred Deer offers an unsettling and disturbing insight into a twisted world that’s actually not so unlike our own."

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Shayna B.

@Sbergenfeld Jan 16

Absolutely boring. So slow. No reason to waste your time. The person scoring probably got back for doing nothing. Too much silence. I could’ve fallen alseep idk how I made it through

See more

Frank M

Jan 15

Stellar performances! Truly absurdist cinema in every way imaginable. The ending will leave a lot to be desired but the journey getting there is undeniable and unforgettable.

See more

Timothy D

@TimDanielD Jan 11

This is one of the worst films I’ve ever seen, and that is saying a lot. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone. It is painful to sit through.

See more

Brian R.

@BrianR23 Dec 15

An unspeakably bad film. Zero redeeming qualities. If you’re feeling masochistic, and want to punish yourself, watch this movie. I made a Rotten Tomatoes account for the first time ever for the specific purpose of leaving this review. It should be called ‘The Killing of a Sacred Two Hours of My Life’.

See more

Bill P

@BillP62 Dec 9

Fairly disturbing movie. In a horror porn kind of way. Watch at your own risk

See more

Jon R.

@JuantheBaptist Nov 28

Wasn’t bad. I think the movie would’ve been better if you were left wondering longer what was going on instead of the antagonist explaining everything a bit early on

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Yorgos Lanthimos

Director

Bill Camp

Matthew Williams

Raffey Cassidy

Kim Murphy

Denise Dal Vera

Mary Williams

Colin Farrell

Steven Murphy

Barry Keoghan

Martin

The Little Stranger

64%

34%

The Little Stranger

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Little Stranger

Pet Sematary

57%

33%

Pet Sematary

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Pet Sematary

It

85%

84%

It

Watchlist

TRAILER

for It

Voice From the Stone

38%

33%

Voice From the Stone

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Voice From the Stone

Annabelle: Creation

70%

68%

Annabelle: Creation

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Annabelle: Creation

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

New on Netflix in April 2022

2018 Film Independent Spirit Awards Winners Announced: Get Out Wins Best Feature

New On DVD in January: Better Call Saul, IT, Blade Runner 2049 and More

The Killing of a Sacred Deer: 'Playdate' Trailer

1:09

The Killing of a Sacred Deer: Trailer 1

1:18

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Dr. Steven Murphy is a renowned cardiovascular surgeon who presides over a spotless household with his wife and two children. Lurking at the margins of his idyllic suburban existence is Martin, a fatherless teen who insinuates himself into the doctor's life in gradually unsettling ways. Soon, the full scope of Martin's intent becomes menacingly clear when he confronts Steven with a long-forgotten transgression that will shatter his domestic bliss forever.

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Producer: Ed Guiney, Yorgos Lanthimos
Screenwriter: Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthimis Filippou
Distributor: A24
Production Co: Element Pictures
Rating: R (Disturbing Violent Content|Disturbing Sexual Content|Language|Some Graphic Nudity)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 20, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 19, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.3M
Runtime: 2h 1m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

Most Popular at Home Now