Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Cannes 2017: The Killing of a Sacred Deer booed despite positive reviews

Critics believe Lanthimos's latest could win the coveted Palme D'or

Jack Shepherd
Monday 22 May 2017 06:38 EDT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Cannes Film Festival has once again proven how one flick can completely split an audience.

Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Killing of a Sacred Deer — the director’s first feature-length since The Lobster — has been heralded as ‘phenomenal’ by critics, despite being booed by the audience.

“Predictable booing after Killing of the Sacred Deer from critics who somehow resent being challenged or chafed at Cannes,” writes Variety’s Guy Lodge on Twitter. “It's magnificent.”

David Ehrlich of IndieWire notes: “Yorgos Lanthimos comes to America & remakes Sophie's Choice as a suburban horror movie. Boos ensue.”

Of course, Cannes audiences are renown for booing at various well-reviewed films, including Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, and Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life.

Personal Shopper — a horror starring Kristen Stewart — was at the receiving end of boos last year despite receiving huge amounts of praise from critics.

Likewise, Bong Joon-ho’s Okja received a particularly negative response from the audience, being booed partly due to being a Netflix release but also because the film was projected in the wrong aspect ratio.

For all the latest on Cannes, follow The Independent’s coverage here.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in