Best movies of Yorgos Lanthimos, Oscar-winning Poor Things director
Yorgos Lanthimos is a Greek filmmaker known for his eccentric and unique vision. Despite helming big-budget, Oscar-winning Hollywood productions, Lanthimos has stayed true to his peculiar style throughout his career. His films offer a confrontational and darkly funny perspective on human nature. This is prepard by SSP.
Starting with smaller-scale projects in Greece, Lanthimos gained international recognition with 2009's "Dogtooth." He seamlessly transitioned to English-language features while maintaining his distinct sensibilities, establishing himself as one of the most renowned auteurs in American cinema.
As Lanthimos' latest film, the three-part anthology "Kinds of Kindness" featuring Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, and Willem Dafoe, hits theaters, let's delve into his most creative and interesting films, ranked by quality regardless of their level of peculiarity.
5. "The Killing of a Sacred Deer"
Lanthimos' darkest film may be challenging to watch, but it doesn't completely abandon his dry humor. The horrifying torture endured by surgeon Steven Murphy's family (Colin Farrell) is presented matter-of-factly, creating a sense of detached boredom. Barry Keoghan delivers a chilling performance as the young man who curses Steven's family, forcing him to make a gruesome choice between his wife or children.
The film offers a twisted revenge scenario reminiscent of horror movies, but Lanthimos portrays it with a stoic formalism, eliminating any sense of excitement or gratification. As the audience squirms alongside the Murphy family, the inevitable somber outcome looms.
Watch on Max.
4. "The Lobster"
Lanthimos' first English-language film is a peculiar romantic comedy set in a world where individuals must find a romantic partner or be transformed into an animal. Recently divorced David (Colin Farrell) arrives at a hotel for single people, obliged to pair off within 45 days. Some residents resort to extreme measures to convince themselves of compatibility, while others resist society's rigid mating requirements.
David eventually forms a connection with a member of a rebel group called the "loners" (Rachel Weisz). However, their bond proves just as empty as the pairings inside the hotel. Lanthimos transforms romance into a series of perilous and bewildering rituals, exposing the desperation for human connection.
Watch on Max.
3. "Dogtooth"
Lanthimos' international breakthrough exhibits his unique storytelling approach with a family drama set in an unrecognizable context. Within a walled compound, a couple has raised their children in total isolation, imparting them with strange and false lessons about the outside world. By swapping the meanings of random words, their language skills become distorted. Despite reaching adulthood, the children remain under their parents' spell, convinced by absurd rationales for staying within the family's confines.
"Dogtooth" skillfully blends thriller and coming-of-age elements with inexplicable interludes as the family resolutely follows its perplexing traditions. Confounding yet mesmerizing, this film sparked Lanthimos' following and encapsulates the sensibility prevalent in his larger-budget productions.
Rent/buy on Amazon or Apple.
2. "The Favourite"
Teaming up with Australian screenwriter Tony McNamara, Lanthimos gained mainstream acceptance and received major awards attention with "The Favourite." A fictionalized biopic centered around Queen Anne of England (Olivia Colman), a self-absorbed monarch whose unpredictable behavior destabilizes the nation, the film revolves around two women vying for her romantic and political favor: Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz), her longtime advisor, and the ambitious Abigail Hill (Emma Stone), Sarah's cousin.
Colman deservedly won an Oscar for her portrayal of the eccentric and passionate Queen Anne. Instead of a conventional period piece, "The Favourite" unveils a bawdy, wicked, and often uproarious remix of history, boldly showcasing the debauchery and ruthlessness of the ruling class.
Rent/buy on Amazon or Apple.
1. "Poor Things"
In yet another collaboration with Tony McNamara, Lanthimos achieves even greater acclaim with this loose adaptation of Alasdair Gray's novel. Emma Stone delivers an Oscar-winning performance as Bella Baxter, a hybrid creature brought to life by the Frankenstein-like scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Mark Ruffalo hilariously portrays the sleazy lawyer who seduces and later resents Bella after saving her from her creator.
"Poor Things" cleverly explores themes from "Frankenstein," as Bella uncovers both the pleasures and cruelties of the world beyond Godwin's laboratory. The film presents a steampunk-inspired version of Victorian England, brought to life through exquisite set design and special effects. It serves as an inventive opus, encapsulating Lanthimos' longstanding thematic obsessions.