AN IRISH-PRODUCED film starring Colin Farrell and Barry Keoghan has opened to rave reviews at the Cannes Film Festival.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer features Farrell and Keoghan, the latter of Love/Hate fame, joined by Nicole Kidman in a slow-burning horror film that has seen the Irish actors singled out for particular acclaim.
The film is written and directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, a director whose last film The Lobster also featured Farrell and was nominated for an Oscar.
This time around the dark humour of The Lobster has been replaced by a more disturbing tone as Keoghan’s character seeks revenge on Farrell’s.
The story opens with Farrell’s heart surgeon character operating on a man while drunk and killing him.
Years later, the dead man’s teenage son (Keoghan) plots revenge, telling the surgeon he must choose a member of his family to kill or they will all suffer an excruciating death.
The film premiered at the prestigious festival yesterday to glowing reviews.
Keoghan was last week described by the Hollywood Reporter as ‘Hollywood’s next big thing’ and his performance in this film has seen him tipped for the top acting award at the festival.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer is produced by Irish production company Element Pictures and is also supported by the Irish Film Board.
The IFB’s chief executive James Hickey said the reaction to the film has been “overwhelmingly positive”
“I’m particularly pleased to see Barry Keoghan breakthrough as a major international star to watch and I would like to congratulate Ireland’s Element Pictures, undisputedly now one of the world’s leading production companies,” Hickey said.
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