The Killing of a Sacred Deer Page #8

Synopsis: Steven, a charismatic surgeon, is forced to make an unthinkable sacrifice after his life starts to fall apart, when the behavior of a teenage boy he has taken under his wing turns sinister.
Director(s): Yorgos Lanthimos
Production: A24
  2 wins & 30 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.1
Metacritic:
73
Rotten Tomatoes:
80%
R
Year:
2017
121 min
$1,955,883
Website
1,798 Views


[Steven] I said stop talking.

Steven, it's gonna be

better once it's done.

Start over, clean slate.

Don't you get it?

Sometimes I think you're

naive but you can't be naive.

You're a man of science,

you can't be an idiot.

But, if I'd only just met you,

I would seriously question

your depth of judgment.

(blow thuds)

(Martin groans)

I just want, want to show

you an example, (spits),

that's all.

Just one little example

to show you what I mean.

(thudding)

(grunting)

Should I apologize?

No.

Should I, should I

stroke your wound?

Actually, that would

probably hurt even more,

touching an open wound.

No, there's only one way

to make you and me

both feel better.

(squelching)

(dramatic, high-pitched music)

(Martin spits and groans)

Do you understand?

It's metaphorical.

My example.

It's a metaphor.

I mean, it's,

it's symbolic.

(booming)

(dog barking)

(footsteps echoing)

[Steven] Shut the door, Anna.

Now, Martin, you'll know

what it's like to die.

What it's like when

your head cracks open

and your brains blow out.

[Anna] Don't shoot him.

[Martin] And then?

Shut up!

[Martin] Shoot me, then what?

- Answer.

- I'll bury you in the yard!

And you'll rot, that's what.

You won't be

able to explain it.

You won't understand how

it could have happened.

You'll say, "But I

only killed one person.

"How come four people are dead?

"I only shot one."

So if you're gonna dig

a hole in the yard,

better make it a big one.

[Anna] Steven.

(discordant piano music)

(somber music)

[Kim] He didn't kill him.

[Bob] How do you know?

I just do.

Anyway, he made

the right choice.

Otherwise it would have been

like killing four people

with a single shot.

Wouldn't that be tragic?

I'm going to live with Martin.

I want you to know that

I'm really sorry, Bob.

I really love you.

We all do.

Dad does, too.

But he's in a really

difficult position

and he doesn't have

much of a choice.

It's not because he

doesn't love you.

They bought me a piano.

Mom told me it'd

be here next month.

They didn't tell you so

you wouldn't be scared.

Bob, something terrible

happened yesterday.

I lost the MP player

that Martin gave me.

I don't know what's

wrong with me.

I've lost two MP players

in the last 10 days.

So I'd like to ask you a favor.

Can I have your MP

player when you're dead?

Please, please.

Please.

(Bob's legs squeaking

on wood floor)

[Bob] Dad.

Look.

I cut my hair just

as you wanted me to.

Good boy.

Well done.

I'm sorry I

didn't listen to you

and get a haircut right away.

I don't know what I was

thinking all this time.

I would get so hot and have

to comb it all the time.

It was a total hassle.

I should have listened to

you and cut it off sooner.

I'm gonna water the plants now.

No, darling,

I watered them this morning.

Tomorrow.

Dad,

I've been thinking about it

and I decided I wanna

become a cardiologist.

Not an ophthalmologist.

I lied to mom because I

didn't want her to get upset.

I think I prefer what you do.

It's far more interesting

and challenging.

(Steven weeping)

The boy's very good

at math and physics.

Kim, on the other hand, apart

from her natural aptitude

for music, is very good

at literature and history,

areas in which Bob lags behind.

She wrote a brilliant essay

on the tragedy of Iphigenia

which she read out in class.

She received an A plus.

What about their

behavior in class?

They're both a little

restless, I'd say.

Equally so.

I mean, I've had the

occasional complaint

from their teachers about

some minor misdemeanors

but they've never been

rude to any of the staff.

In any case, if they

had ever acted out,

we would have told you about it.

Do you especially like one

of them more than the other?

If you had to

choose between them,

which would say is the best?

That's a difficult question.

I'm not sure I can

give you an answer.

I don't know.

I don't know what to tell you.

Thank you for

bringing them down.

I really wanted to see them.

I really wanted to see you.

Hi, Bob.

Hi, Kim.

Bob,

aren't you gonna come over

and let me give you a hug?

[Anna] Bob?

No?

I understand; it doesn't matter.

You're a man.

The man of the house, now

your father isn't home.

You can go back to bed.

Don't trouble

yourselves for my sake.

You can take them away.

(smooching)

(eerie music)

Anna, if you're gonna do

something, you'd better be fast.

The boy is about to die.

I believe the most logical

thing, no matter how harsh

this may sound, is

to kill a child.

Because we can

have another child.

I still can and you can.

And if you can't, we can try

IVF, but I'm sure we can.

[Kim] I'm sorry for

what I did tonight.

I don't know what

I was thinking.

I was only thinking about

myself and no one else.

That was wrong of me.

I was frightened.

I shouldn't have been.

Let me be the one who

atones for your sins, Dad.

Kill me right here

in front of your eyes

so that you can be

sure that I die,

in case some fate spares

me at the last moment.

Kill me right here

in front of you

and leave me with the ultimate

joy of saving my own mother

and beloved brother

from certain death.

Mom, tell him.

Dad, please.

I would do anything for you.

I would even die for you and

here's my chance to prove it.

They're all asleep.

We can go now and

no one will notice.

All you have to do is

help me walk again.

My legs hurt after all

this time and I feel weak.

But it's okay.

It doesn't matter.

I knew at some point

this would all be over

and you would come.

(eerie music)

I thought we could take

your friend's motorcycle

and run away together.

But you have to

make me well first.

I'll untie you if you promise

you can make me better

and we'll run away together.

Okay?

It's not working.

You have to try harder.

Kim's not in her bed.

I'm telling you, you

have to try harder.

Are you deaf?

Martin.

Try harder!

(eerie music)

- Where is she?

- She's gone.

(slap resounds)

Where is she, what

did you do to her?

I love you so much,

don't forget that.

You gave me life

and you, only you,

have the right to

take my life away.

That makes perfect sense.

You are my lords, my masters

and I am just someone

who lives to obey your wishes.

I love you so much.

Remember that when

I'm lying in my grave,

unable to tell you

that I love you.

I love you more than

anything in the world,

you and my brother.

Where have you been?

[Steven] I went

to the hospital.

Got the feeding formula.

Have you checked on him?

Did you give him the sedatives?

I let him go.

- What are you talking about?

- He's not downstairs.

I let him go.

Why would you do that?

Why did you let him go?

Answer me!

Are you a complete idiot?

It's not gonna make

any difference, Steven.

It's not gonna solve

anything, we both know that.

Mom?

Do you remember that day

when I was rude to

you at the hospital?

[Anna] Yes.

Did you tell Dad about it?

[Anna] Of course I

told him about it, Kim.

Rate this script:4.0 / 2 votes

Yorgos Lanthimos

Yorgos Lanthimos (Greek: Γιώργος Λάνθιμος, Giorgos Lanthimos; born 1973) is a Greek film, video, and theatre director, producer and screenwriter. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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