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A24 is no stranger to films that could be interpreted twenty different ways and leave you with a multitude of questions once you’re done, and The Killing of a Sacred Deer is no exception. Yorgos Lanthimos’s psychological horror from 2017 left some viewers with more questions than answers, similar to his 2015 film The Lobster, which is a trip in and of itself. If you finished the movie and are wondering what you just saw, worry not; here are the answers to just about every single question you could have by the end of this amazing A24 film. It should go without saying, but just in case, spoiler alert.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer Ending and Sickness Explained
At the end of the film, we see that Steven has no choice but to follow through with Martin’s wishes and kill one of his family members in retaliation for Steven being under the influence of alcohol during Martin’s father’s surgery, possibly contributing to his death. Rather than choose who to kill, Steven ties up his family, puts a bag over his head, and spins wildly in a circle, firing indiscriminately before ultimately shooting and killing Bob.
It’s a film about punitive justice, an eye for an eye. Steven killed a member of Martin’s family, now Steven must kill a member of his own family. This is further engrained when Martin is being held hostage in their basement and bites Steven’s arm, showing him “one little example.” He bites Steven’s arm and asks if he should apologize but points out that there is only one way “to make you and me both feel better,” as he bites his own arm.
Steven’s choice to randomly shoot, and therefore not directly choosing which member of his family to sacrifice, is part of another theme of the movie, which is that Steven refuses to accept responsibility for his actions, let alone apologize for his hand in Martin’s father’s death. By the end of the film, he is still the same person, unable to take responsibility for his actions or commit to a decision and instead push the blame onto something else, be it the anesthesiologist during the operation or randomness and the death of Bob.
Steven also goes about trying to choose who to kill in very strange yet somewhat logical ways (if you have no morals or a soul). He asks the principal of their school which of his kids is “better” in order to aid his decision, believing that they might have different worths. While it’s understandable that it’s impossible to pick which member of your family to sacrifice, it’s inconceivable to think that you could try and base your choice on their performance in grade school.
His family also throws Hail Mary attempts at not being the one to get picked. The mother explains that she shouldn’t die because they can just have another kid and start over again. The son cuts his hair like his father wanted, waters the plants, and tries to play on his emotions by saying he wants to become a cardiologist too. The daughter tries to persuade Martin to heal her so they can run away, but when that fails, she goes to Steven and explains that she is willing to sacrifice herself for the family, hoping that this show of compassion forces Steven to pick someone else.
The film is also about a power dynamic often not seen in real life or media. The idea that a teenager could upend a rich doctor’s suburban life and force him to make a horrifying decision as revenge for killing his father is an interesting take and one that Lanthimos doesn’t shy away from.
In an interview with The Atlantic shortly before the film’s release, Lanthimos stated, “…it was mostly about trying to make this young boy, this teenager, feel both as a young, innocent boy and as someone who’s very mature, with tremendous power over other people. We’re trying to create a balance, which you don’t find everyday in life. We didn’t want him to appear as evil or naïve; we wanted an ambiguity, with elements that you understand. Up to a point, you go with him, and you identify with him and his pain.”
If you’re still confused as to the “why” of the film, understanding the Greek myth that it’s based on could help.
What Greek myth is The Killing of a Sacred Deer?
If you’re unaware, The Killing of a Sacred Deer is similar to the Greek myth of Iphigenia, the daughter of King Agamemnon of Mycenae. In the myth, Agamemnon kills one of Artemis’ sacred deer, so she retaliates by forcing Agamemnon to kill his eldest daughter, Iphigenia, if he wants his army to reach the city of Troy.
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There are different versions of the story, some with Iphigenia not knowing she is to be sacrificed and instead believing she is going to marry Achilles, and others where she becomes aware of her father’s intentions. Regardless, you can see the influence of this story on the film, as you can easily replace Agamemnon with Stephen, the deer with Martin’s father, and Martin with Artemis. There are, of course, some differences, such as the illness Martin inflicts upon Stephen’s family and the fact that Stephen has to choose who to kill, but the influence is there nonetheless.
Why do they talk like that in The Killing of a Sacred Deer?
The dialogue in the film is immediately apparent as this sort of emotionless, monotone conversation, which Lanthimos is known for. The plainly delivered lines are meant to disconnect you from the absurd reality of the world in the film and ours. It also helps emphasize the surrealism and black comedy his movies are known for, and it’s not lost in The Killing of a Sacred Deer either.
Just rewatch the scene where Martin explains the stages of the illness and try not to laugh as he explains the rules of the game so plainly and calmly. “You remember what stage 3 is? It’s bleeding of the eyes.”
The way they deliver their lines can also feel clinical, which is fitting considering the parent’s line of work and the fact that the majority of the film takes place in a hospital setting, whether it’s in the actual hospital or the hospital Steven constructs at home to take care of his two kids.
Is the surgery in The Killing of a Sacred Deer real?
Yes, that opening scene that seemed so vivid and real is real. The heart surgery scenes in the film are real and were filmed during a quadruple bypass surgery that Colin Farrell attended. Farrell went on the popular show Hot Ones, where they interview celebrities as they eat spicier and spicier wings, and said that it was “Very intense. I never saw anything like it in my life.” and that he “wouldn’t want to see it again.”
What is Martin in The Killing of a Sacred Deer?
If we look at it from the perspective of the original Greek myth that influenced the film, Martin is Artemis, a god out for revenge and appeasement after losing a member of their flock. It’s important to understand that the world in The Killing of a Sacred Deer isn’t meant to be the same as ours. The film avoids fully explaining the reason behind the illness and instead forces the audience to accept that it is very real and will result in death if Steven does not kill a member of his family.
There’s no explanation for how Martin is able to inflict it, whether there’s secretly some sort of poison he’s been feeding the family or if it really is a magical power. There is simply punitive, karmic justice in the universe of The Killing of a Sacred Deer, and it is Steven’s turn to feel its wrath.
Why did she kiss his feet in The Killing of a Sacred Deer?
It’s almost certainly an allegory to the prostitute washing Jesus’ feet. It was so controversial because Mary Magdalene was a perpetual sinner, yet Jesus allowed her to come to him and wash, touch, and cry at his feet. In this film, Martin is a type of god, passing judgment on Steven for his actions and the death of his father and inflicting an illness that can easily be considered biblical. Bleeding from the eyes isn’t exactly a common symptom. At the end of the story, Jesus forgives Mary for her sins and tells her to go in peace. Whether Anna was looking for forgiveness for her husband’s sins or so that she could be spared isn’t clear, but the connection to the story of Jesus and Mary Magdalene is clear.
