FILM · 2017 · IRELAND
The Killing of a Sacred Deer
15 archived facts 3 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
15 Interesting Facts About The Killing of a Sacred Deer
Interesting Facts (9)
- #001
The heart surgery scenes in the film are real. They were shot during an actual quadruple bypass operation on a real patient, with Colin Farrell also present.
- #002
It must be admitted that Colin Farrell confessed his stomach turned after reading the film's script.
- #003
In a shot toward Bob just as he begins to fall ill, a photograph of a deer appears above his head, foreshadowing the film's ending.
- #004
In the first dinner scene with Steven and Martin, a deer can be seen on the wallpaper.
- #005
The film Steven watches at Martin's house is Groundhog Day.
- #006
The design of many scenes in the film looks as though it were taken from an Edward Hopper painting.
- #007
This is the second collaboration between Yorgos Lanthimos and Colin Farrell; the first was The Lobster (2015).
- #008
Cincinnati native Michael Trester, acting for the first time in 67 years, plays the Old Man at a medical conference banquet alongside Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman and Bill Camp.
- #009
This is Denise Barone's debut.
Characters & Cast (1)
- #010
Although the film is set in Ohio, Bob is the only main character played by an American (Sunny Suljic). Colin Farrell and Barry Keoghan are Irish, Nicole Kidman was born in Hawaii and raised in Australia, and Raffey Cassidy is British.
Deeper Meaning (5)
- #011
The film's title comes from the ending of Euripides' tragedy Iphigenia in Aulis.
- #012
When Steven visits the school, the headmaster tells him how Kim earned an A+ for her paper on the Iphigenia tragedy. The film draws on the same tragedy and incorporates elements of its story.
- #013
The restaurant where they meet throughout the film is the "Blue Jay restaurant." In American folklore, the blue jay was regarded as the servant of the devil. At the meeting at the school, an inverted cross is visible on a piece of paper. The upside-down cross is generally used as a symbol of the devil.
- #014
In the final scene, the family is shown walking toward a brightly lit space, away from Martin, who sits in the dark. This may symbolize that Martin has made a deal with dark forces and will be influenced by them forever.
- #015
At the 1:26 mark, a pair of windows resembling eyes follows the two parents from their bedroom through the house down to the basement. This may symbolize that the entity making the children ill is observing the parents' actions.
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- IMDb
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