Summary

• The Killing of a Sacred Deer parallels the Greek myth of Iphigenia, with Steven acting as an Agamemnon-like character.
• Key scenes reference the myth to unveil the movie's true nature and provide a fable-like context.
• The Killing of a Sacred Deer delves into themes of justice, revenge, and humanity's struggle against fate.

Greek film director Yorgos Lanthimos has carved out an interesting niche in the world of modern auteurs. His 2017 psychological horror/thriller The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a prime example of his strengths, becoming something of a cult favorite. The central plot of The Killing of a Sacred Deer is simple enough, but the distinctly exposition-free approach can make the question of “what is going on?” pretty difficult to parse. But the movie directly references the key behind unpacking its true nature.

The superficial story of The Killing of a Sacred Deer centers on respected cardiovascular surgeon Steven Murphy (The Penguin star Colin Farrell). Once a heavy drinker, Dr. Murphy was seemingly responsible for the death of a patient, although the circumstances of the unfortunate passing are admittedly opaque. Afterward, Steven takes the patient's strange young son, Martin (Eternals star Barry Keoghan), under his wing. Although he initially kept their relationship under wraps, Steven eventually introduced Martin to his wife, Anna (Nicole Kidman), and their children.

Soon, Martin begins to maneuver his way into the family's life sinisterly until he forces Steven to make an unthinkably awful decision. The story's layers of mystery, combined with the clinical direction and jarringly mannered dialogue, make the true nature of the plot a minor puzzle. Luckily, Lanthimos gives eagle-eyed viewers directions on how to find The Killing of a Sacred Deer's conceit-defining source: the Greek myth of Iphigenia.

Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on May 9, 2024: The Killing of a Sacred Deer remains one of A24's most chilling films. With a killer cast and a creepy story, the 2017 film deserves to be revisited by fans who haven't checked it out yet. This feature has been updated to include more information and to meet CBR's current guidelines.

Iphigenia in The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Explained

The moment in question finds Steven asking the headmaster of his children's school a series of questions to determine which kid is "better." The awful decision Martin is forcing Steven to make revolves around selecting a family member to kill before all of them die. As such, Steven attempts to discern whether one child deserves to live over the other. During this line of questioning, the headmaster references an essay written by Steven's daughter on the Greek Myth of Iphigenia. And it's this scene that lays out the path toward the answers the movie does not explicitly disclose.

The Myth of Iphigenia, in short, tells of how King Agamemnon offends the all-powerful goddess Artemis by hunting and killing one of her sacred (and innocent) stags. As a result, Artemis impedes Agamemnon's military, only agreeing to stop under the sole condition that Agamemnon sacrifices his beloved daughter, Iphigenia. What happens from there differs from version to version of the myth. In some interpretations, Iphigenia is sacrificed under pressure from her father's military leaders, and King Agamemmnon's armies receive favorable weather in return. In others, Iphigenia is meant to be killed, only to be replaced by a deer at the last second. In all cases, though, the story has similarities to Lanthimos' The Killing of a Sacred Deer.

The Parallels Between Killing of a Sacred Deer and the Myth

Lanthimos' The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a loose retelling of the Iphigenia myth. So, Steven is a modern approximation of King Agamemnon, with great wealth and a proverbial army of medical professionals at his side. And Artemis, in the case of the film, is Martin. While Artemis is traditionally a goddess and the deity of nature/childhood/the hunt, Lanthimos makes his approximation a spectral figure of subjective justice. Many Greek myths treat the deities as such in that they are often just as prey to emotional whims as the humans they rule over are.

The sacred stag killed by Steven is Martin's father -- and whether his death is accidental or by way of drunken carelessness, the effect on Martin is the same. While the original myth has the sacrifice focused on Agamemnon's daughter, Steven's potential sacrifice is a bit more open-ended. Whether the eventual family member killed is intended as the Iphigenia analog or as the innocent deer that replaces Iphigenia moments before death is up for interpretation.

While the clarity that comes with the mythological context doesn't necessarily provide logical reasons for certain semi-supernatural plot developments, it does reconfigure the movie into a more direct fable. It explores the eternal questions of justice, revenge, what it means to play God, and the inherent comedy of humanity's futile war against immovable fate. The Killing of a Sacred Deer is one of the most interesting and multilayered films in recent years, and even with the mythological context, there are endless facets to explore.

What Movies Should I Watch After The Killing Of A Sacred Deer?

The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a deep and contemplative film with hidden themes that make audiences think about what the events and characters therein really represent. In a filmmaking scene rife with thoughtless projects and franchise films, audiences want more movies like The Killing of a Sacred Deer. Thankfully, there are plenty of options.

Fans of Colin Farrell's performance in The Killing of a Sacred Deer should certainly check out his 2015 film The Lobster. In this absurd and, at times, uncomfortable film, Farrell portrays David, a recently divorced man who enters a hotel that gives him 45 days to find a new wife or be transformed into an animal. David must navigate strange rules and even stranger guests to reach a better understanding of himself--and love in general.

Barry Keoghan shines in The Killing of a Sacred Deer, kicking off an impressive career that culminates in the 2024 film Saltburn. In the controversial and often upsetting A24 film, Keoghan plays Oliver Quick, a young man invited to stay at the estate of a wealthy classmate. There, he is horrified to experience a series of absurd and dangerous events that threaten to make him lose his mind. The film deals with themes of unhealthy and obsessive love, casting the dark shadow of passion in its horrifying tale.

Finally, fans of The Killing of a Sacred Deer should check out one of A24's most infamous films, Midsommar. Featuring a breakout performance from Florence Pugh, Midsommar follows a couple vacationing in Sweden who happen upon a bloody pagan cult. While they are initially horrified by the cult's practices, the couple finds themselves roped into some of the rituals, which change their lives forever.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer is only the tip of the iceberg regarding ideological and deeply thematic arthouse films. Movie fans who enjoyed the 2017 film should certainly check out other movies of its ilk, expanding their cinematic tastes into new and exciting directions.