Killing of a Sacred Deer - Quarantine Review
Killing of a Sacred Deer is one of those movies that raises more questions than the answers it provides. While at a glance, you could say it’s an adaption of Iphigenia, which the title is referencing. But as with all interesting movies, the rabbit hole goes far deeper than a simple adaptation.
What’s this world all about?
This world seems to have that eye for an eye motto as karma must be carried out, but it isn’t picky how it’s done. Both of Steven’s kids and his wife will get sick unless he kills one of them. This puts Steven and his family in that awkward situation where he has show everyone who he loves the least. No one feels safe as they all try to make themselves the perfect image they feel as though Steven would want. Of course, the savage Steven is having none of this and tries to take the logical approach to things. He goes to his kids school and has the principal say which kid is his favorite. Sadly, that doesn’t work and both kids are equally likely to die. You’d think the mom, Anna, would feel the most safe, but Martin’s Mom has the hots for Steven and Anna knows it. Anna tries to seduce him with the ole pretend to be under anesthesia, but the man is having none of it. He demands answers. Answers that can old be acquired by kidnapping a 16 year old boy who warned him that this would happen in the first place! That’s right, Martin gets to be locked in the basement now! He doesn’t even get to work on his 8 ball game! Steven thinks the solution is to kill Martin because he’s behind it all, but that would just make the karma even more imbalanced and guarantee the death of everyone. Four bodies, not one! In the end, it’s Steven that needs to shoot somebody, but who? He can decide, so it’s time for Russian Roulette!
But what does it all mean?
Well to be perfectly honest, I’m not really sure. There is reason to think that Martin is god. He has a sick sense of what justice is and there is Christ like imagery, most notably the scene where Anna kisses Martin’s feet. There’s also the moment where he shares Steven’s pain by biting off part of his own arm. Part of me doubts this theory because of the selfish motives Martin has. He is just as sinful as the other cast. After all, he seduces Kim and also tries to set his mom up with Steven so he’ll choose to kill his wife and Martin can finally have a new dad. That’s not blind justice. As with the “Eye for an eye” saying, the whole world is left blind, not healed. Martin is in a worse position at the end of the movie because he has now been ostracized by the family who so willingly took him in.
Justice is not about winners and losers. Often times no materials and words can repay blood as Steven learned at the start when diner meetings and nice watches were no substitution for the father Martin lost. It can be shown right away as Martin rejects the metal strap for a leather one. The cold heartless metal replaced with the skin of a dead animal. It’s a fitting comparison.
Bob didn’t deserve to die, but neither did Martin’s dad. Steven is by no means a good person, but it is certainly hard to have to watch him struggle to kill a family member to save the rest. His family is forced to pay for his actions as opposed to him. His clean beautiful hands now have his family’s blood on them. He cannot blame this on his anesthesiologist. The gloves have come off and he must face reality for once.
Watching this movie is an absolute nail biter. The dialogue is so carefully chosen while also being delivered in such a dry manor. It is worth the price of admission and then some. This is a movie I heartily enjoyed!
