The Killing of a Sacred Deer 2017

Drama

Mystery

Thriller

Horror

Box Office

$6.9M

Runtime

121 min

Language

English

Directed by

Giorgos Lanthimos

Made by

A24

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Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

The film opens with Steven (Colin Farrell) conducting an open-heart surgery. Once the procedure concludes, he shares a light conversation with his anesthesiologist about watches, hinting at a deeper connection. Later, he encounters Martin (Barry Keoghan) at a diner, where he takes on a mentor role, surprising Martin with a watch he had been interested in. Steven’s evening continues with a family dinner, where his son Bob (Sunny Suljic) expresses a desire to attend a party with his sister Kim (Raffey Cassidy). However, Steven insists Bob must first cut his long hair, to which his wife Anna (Nicole Kidman) argues against the restriction. This married couple’s dynamic takes a peculiar turn that night, culminating in a strange intimacy that showcases their troubled relationship.

The narrative takes a darker twist at a gala where Steven delivers a speech and reveals his sobriety when offered a cocktail. As Martin becomes a frequent guest at their home, an unsettling aura surrounds him. During a lighthearted dinner, Martin corners Steven with revelations about the tragic death of his father in an accident related to Steven’s surgery. The emotional tension escalates when Martin hints at Steven being responsible for this loss, as he suggestively claims that Steven must pay a price: to sacrifice a member of his family to restore balance.

Strange occurrences ensue, with Bob suddenly becoming paralyzed and unable to feel his legs. The tension mounts as Martin visits Bob in the hospital, and the narrative eerily intertwines the children’s health crises. During a choir rehearsal, Kim falls ill, aligning her misfortune with Bob’s. The couple grapples with fears while questioning if their fates are linked to Martin’s ominous threats.

As Anna confronts the anesthesiologist regarding Steven’s previous drinking, a troubling connection emerges between the events and the family’s increasing distress. In private meetings, Martin manipulates the emotions of Kim and Bob, leaving the family in a state of unease.

The gravity of the situation intensifies when Steven resorts to desperate measures, resorting to violence against Martin, who claims responsibility for the family’s plights. In a chilling turn of events, a decision must be made regarding who within the family must face the ultimate consequence of Steven’s past actions. The film crescendos in a heart-wrenching climax where Steven confronts his family with a rifle, leaving speculations of whom he will sacrifice looming in the air.

In a haunting closure, as they dine in a diner reminiscent of earlier meetings, Martin’s presence brings a lingering tension as the family attempts to move past the trauma that has bound them. The conclusion leaves viewers grappling with the moral complexities surrounding guilt, family ties, and the tragic price of past decisions.

Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Open-Heart Surgery

The film opens with Steven conducting an intricate open-heart surgery. This moment establishes his professional competence but also hints at the weight of responsibility he carries in his line of work.

Hospital Operating Room

Casual Conversation

After the surgery, Steven engages in a light-hearted conversation with his anesthesiologist about watches. This exchange suggests a deeper friendship and reveals Steven's preference for meaningful connections.

Hospital

Meeting Martin

Later, Steven meets Martin at a diner, taking on a mentor role by surprising him with a watch he had shown interest in. This seemingly sincere gesture sets the stage for the complicated dynamic that will unfold between them.

Diner

Family Dinner and Conflict

During a family dinner, tension arises when Steven insists that his son Bob cut his long hair before attending a party. This interaction highlights the struggles within Steven and Anna's marriage, showcasing conflicting parenting styles.

Home

Gala Speech

The narrative shifts to a gala where Steven delivers a speech about his sobriety. This moment introduces a facade of control that Steven maintains in his life, contrasting sharply with the turmoil brewing beneath the surface.

Gala Event

Martin's Dark Revelation

During a dinner, Martin reveals the tragic death of his father, linking it to Steven's surgical error. This conversation escalates the tension as Martin insinuates that Steven must pay for his past mistakes.

Steven’s Home

Bob's Sudden Illness

Strange occurrences arise when Bob suddenly becomes paralyzed and loses the ability to feel his legs. This alarming incident connects directly to Martin’s previous insinuations, escalating the family's distress.

Hospital

Kim Falls Ill

While at choir rehearsal, Kim becomes ill, experiencing her own health crisis that eerily mirrors Bob's condition. These intertwined misfortunes further amplify the family's fears and suspicions regarding Martin.

Choir Rehearsal

Anna's Confrontation

Anna confronts the anesthesiologist about Steven's past drinking habits, uncovering a troubling pattern that links their family's distress to Steven’s actions. This revelation deepens the sense of entrapment they face.

Hospital

Martin's Manipulation

In private meetings, Martin begins to twist the emotions of Kim and Bob, leaving the entire family in a state of unease and vulnerability. His influence becomes palpable, creating a toxic atmosphere around them.

Desperate Measures

As the family's situation worsens, Steven resorts to violence against Martin, driven by desperation. This pivotal moment showcases the culmination of the mounting pressures they face from Martin's threats.

The Ultimate Decision

In a chilling climax, Steven confronts his family with a rifle, symbolizing the heavy burden of his past actions. The haunting atmosphere leaves viewers questioning who Steven is willing to sacrifice as an act of atonement.

Home

Diner Closure

In a haunting closure, the family dines in a diner that feels reminiscent of earlier encounters. Martin’s presence adds a lingering tension, suggesting that the trauma may not be easily left behind.

Diner

Moral Complexities

The film concludes, leaving the audience grappling with the moral intricacies surrounding guilt and family bonds. It challenges viewers to contemplate the tragic price of past decisions in shaping their present.

Characters

Explore all characters from The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Martin

Martin is a complex character whose charm conceals an underlying menace. He aggressively manipulates the Murphy family, drawing them into his dark web of revenge for his father's fate. His ability to navigate between being appealing and threatening accentuates the horror of his role in the narrative.

👤 Manipulator ⚰️ Revenge

Steven Murphy

Steven is a well-respected surgeon whose life begins to unravel due to his past decisions. He struggles with guilt stemming from an accident that ties back to Martin's father. This burden bleeds into his family life, exposing the fragility of his relationships and moral compass.

🏥 Surgeon 🔄 Guilt

Anna Murphy

Anna is Steven's wife, often caught in her husband's moral dilemmas and family crises. Her role as a mother reveals her nurturing side, but the pressure of the unfolding events reflects her growing distress. Anna's conflictual feelings towards Steven showcase the strain on their marriage.

👩‍👧‍👦 Mother 💔 Conflict

Setting

Learn where and when The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Time period

The narrative does not specify a particular historical period, focusing instead on the present day. The issues of personal morality and family dynamics resonate with contemporary audiences, making it relatable regardless of time.

Location

Hospital, Diner, Home

The story unfolds in various locations that highlight the contrast between normalcy and tragedy. The hospital signifies life-or-death situations, as seen when Bob becomes paralyzed. The diner serves as a focal point for conversations, where the tension between characters often rises, and their home is a battleground for personal relationships and crises.

🏥 Hospital 🍽️ Diner 🏠 Home

Themes

Discover the main themes in The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

⚖️

Morality

The film explores rich themes of morality and responsibility, questioning the cost of past decisions. Steven's struggle with guilt and his dire choice regarding family members epitomizes the moral dilemmas that individuals face when confronted with their actions. It poses uncomfortable questions about sacrifice and accountability in the face of tragedy.

🌪️

Family Dynamics

Family relationships are at the core of the narrative, illustrating the tumultuous connections that can exist beneath surface-level interactions. Steven and Anna's troubled partnership, paired with the children's health crises, showcases the fragility of family unity. The film delves into how external pressures can unravel familial bonds.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer Ending Explained

Unravel the ending of The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) with our detailed explanation. Understand the final scenes, character fates, and unresolved questions.

At the climax of The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Steven faces a harrowing dilemma when Martin presents him with a impossible choice: he must decide whether to sacrifice one of his own family members or watch them all suffer through a mysterious and painful decline that has no clear remedy. As Steven’s children, Bob and Kim, begin to show the terrifying symptoms — bleeding from the eyes and paralysis — the horror intensifies. Desperate and overwhelmed by the supernatural-like punishment, Steven eventually ties up his family to prevent them from harming themselves, then blindly spins around with a rifle, shooting randomly to avoid making a decision. Tragically, Bob is the victim of this act, dying from the random gunfire.

In the final scenes, after the tragedy, the family gathers for dinner, a quiet and somber scene haunted by what has transpired. Martin re-enters the room and stares at them from a distance, while the family, in turn, looks back at him with a mix of suspicion and unresolved tension. The ending leaves viewers with a sense of unresolved guilt and helplessness, emphasizing the persistent ambiguity of the story. Martin’s role remains mysterious, and the family’s refusal or inability to confront their guilt fully underscores the film’s themes of justice, sacrifice, and moral culpability.

The title, referencing Greek mythology, hints at the story’s deeper layers: the myth of Iphigenia, who was sacrificed to appease the goddess Artemis and restore balance. Just as King Agamemnon was compelled to sacrifice his daughter, the film explores how guilt and revenge intertwine, often leading characters into impossible moral dilemmas. Director Yorgos Lanthimos has explained that the film reflects the idea of an inexplicable, almost supernatural punishment for past actions—particularly relating to Steven’s negligence and responsibility during his medical career. The ending’s ambiguity, coupled with its unsettling tone and symbolic references, ultimately leaves the meaning open to interpretation, emphasizing that sometimes, justice and guilt are tangled in ways that can’t be neatly resolved.

Overall, the ending of The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a haunting meditation on guilt, sacrifice, and the inescapable consequences of moral failure. It invites viewers to reflect on the nature of justice and whether suffering can ever truly be redeemed or justified. The film’s open-ended conclusion, with its unsettling imagery and ambiguous moral message, serves to challenge audiences and linger in their minds long after the credits roll. It’s a stark reminder that in the face of guilt, sometimes the only answer is an act of irrational desperation, leaving the moral costs—and the story itself—clouded in unsettling mystery.

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