This is definitely not one for everyone and that's okay, sure, but to assign it a 1-star or 2-star rating as some have done, is just ridiculous, especially when the disconnect certainly is on the side of the viewer. In fact, those who deemed the acting 'bad' (one reviewer notes: "I thought the characters were robots") missed the entire point of the film.

While, admittedly, the acting from the girl who plays the daughter is flawed, both the acting from the rest of the cast and the way in which the story unfolds is purposefully meant to make you feel highly uncomfortable - and it succeeds.

From the very first scene, to where your mind goes in regard to the sexual nature of the relationships, to the inappropriate or generally eyebrow-raising topics of discussion between some of the characters, this film is MEANT to BE "creepy" and to make the viewer FEEL odd, off - and even dirty.

Much of the creepy-factor, if you will, comes PRECISELY FROM the amazing way in which most of these talented actors made these characters come across as disturbing, unappealing, ALMOST like most of us, ALMOST worth sympathizing with, but not quite. It would have lost much as a film of this nature had the acting been that of a normal or run-of-the-mill family). Again, EVERYTHING, from the topics of conversations, to their postures, to their almost detached delivery, was purposeful and meant to lend to the eeriness of the film and the discomfort of the viewer. THINK about it for a moment: have you ever watched Colin Farrell NOT deliver an enthusiastic, almost convivial performance? The departure from his easy affability in other roles, and almost apathetic delivery in The Killing of a Sacred Deer, was purposeful, and necessary to drive the uncomfortable narrative deep into the viewers minds. This is the very same reason (among many others) one particular character sings - eerily. The viewing experience had to be uncomfortable.

While The Killing of a Sacred Deer may not go down as a family favorite or as one we watch over and over, it is definitely engrossing for its running time and more importantly, it isn't the thousands of other films on hundreds of streaming sites with nothing to say for itself. In short, for those who specifically look for and enjoy films which are not the standard fare, this one is a should-watch.

7.6/8.

What would you do, if a young man came to you, presented you with options after all you'd put him through, where the choices were insane, but you had to take the blame, a vendetta must be settled, and there's no way to eschew.

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, the justice of the vengeful although I'm not sure it would soothe, but the killing sprees continue in 50 countries and some more, the barbarity of revenge, some still find difficult to abhor.

Barry Keoghan is outstanding as the vengeful child seeking recompense for the perceived crime committed by Colin Farrell's character in an imaginatively told tale of retribution you rather hoped had disappeared some time ago but sadly hasn't.

One of the most pretentious films I can remember seeing in a long while, THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER tries to be a family-centred psycho thriller but instead turns out to be a long-winded and interminable bore. The film stars Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman as a married couple whose lives are ruined when a strange and obnoxious boy comes into their lives and makes them a deathly ultimatum. The plot's okay in itself, but not when things are dragged out to this interminably slow length. The worst thing about the movie by far is the direction, from a Greek chap who couldn't direct traffic, let alone a proper movie. Every single scene is distracted by his stupid camera tricks, with slow zooms in and out being particular favourites. The film is icy, cold, and has no heart at all, and at times there's blaring noise on the soundtrack that just annoys you. Farrell and Kidman do nothing with their underwritten parts while Barry Keoghan is no more than one-dimensional as the supposed antagonist. It's the kind of awful viewing experience that never seems to end.