We're in the midst of a renaissance for the horror and thriller genre of films. Rather than stale sequels and predictable films hitting the silver screen, we've seen a variety of new franchises and original horror films hit the theater over the past few years. Many of the riskier horror films are produced by Film4, and now it seems they've struck again with Yorgos Lanthimos' The Killing of a Sacred Deer. The director of The Lobster is once again hoping to unnerve audiences this fall, and the first trailer for Sacred Deer certainly does that job in spades. Check it out.
Did you just get the chills too? The above trailer excites and intrigues, while also keeping the majority of the film's contents thoroughly under wraps. But let's break down what we're being shown.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer revolves around the Murphy family. Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman are the parents of said family, and they've got a young daughter and son in tow. Steven Murphy (Farrell) is a surgeon who has recently come in contact with a mysterious illness that is affecting largely young children. Said virus eventually causes paralysis in the victim, and from the looks of the trailer it seems that the Murphy children may end up contracting it, making the mystery revolving around its cause far more personal.
Furthermore, it Steven Murphy seems to have formed a close relationship with a sinister young man named Matthew, played by The Night Of's Bill Camp. The trailer keeps things mysterious and brief, but it seems that both Steven and his wife Anna will be manipulated by the young boy, which will no doubt put doubts in their marriage- especially when their children end up falling ill as well.
The cast of The Killing of a Sacred Deer is pretty small, but having Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell leading the project will no doubt help legitimize the film and put butts in movie theater seats. Nicole Kidman is currently riding high after her tremendous performance in HBO's Big Little Lies, which she was also produced. Colin Farrell has always been a major film star as well, and has recently captured audiences with his role in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Rounding out the adult cast is Alicia Silverstone, which seems like a major win for the 90s icon. She's in good company, and could very well see a resurgence in her film career if the film is critically acclaimed.
But The Killing of a Sacred Deer does have a few aspects in its way to success, most notably the release date. The film is arriving at the end of October, which makes perfect sense given the Halloween season and audience's penchant for scared at around this time. Unfortunately, there will be some tough competition at the box office, as Sacred Deer isn't the only horror film arriving at that time.
The upcoming psychological thriller have to compete with the long awaited Saw sequel Jigsaw, as well as slasher Happy Death Day and The Snowman. And while the latter two will be released a few week's prior to Jigsaw and The Killing of a Sacred Deer, that's still four exciting horror movies that will be attempting to win over moviegoers in a short amount of time.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer will arrive in theaters on October 27, 2017. In the meantime, check out our 2017 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
