Lanthimos’aesthetics are well defined and clearly recognizable since his debut film. The bodies he shoots present themselves as dragged in a vortex of apparently surreal and nonsensical actions in which the director at times magnifies their details or enjoys picturing motionless souls lost in a confusing reality.

Throughout his 10 year career, Lanthimos’movies continue to maintain the same identifiable style even if something has changed in the last few years, firstly the production’s budget. His original movies were independently shot in the director’s native country casting local actors whereas Lanthimos’ recent more expensive works enabled him to recruit highly regarded Hollywood actors even if at times he did not renounce working with the faithful beloved idols casted in his original pictures.

His last film, “the Killing of the Sacred Deer” won the 2017 Cannes Best screenplay and was nominated for a number of other prizes.

Its cast includes the established Colin Farrell (who acted in “the Lobster”) and big star Nicole Kidman.

It’s the story of a successful surgeon who introduces a mysterious young guy in his family. Such inexplicable turn of events gives life to an incredible psychological thriller bordering on a horror movie.

Here below a short review of other Lanthimos’films, already considered cult movies by the growing number of  his enthusiasts:

Kinetta, the Greek director’s first picture, introduces the theme of human inadequacy, a topic that Lanthimos’ will be developed in an estranging way in his next films. It deals with a policeman a photographer and a dancer that decided to stage and film dead. This situation reveals upsetting but human behaviors.

Kynodontas, like in the Iranian film “the Apple”, narrates about a family who decided to grow up their children with no contacts of the family. This approach will inevitably cause in their kids both, a learning deficit and an upsetting fear of the world and its inhabitants

Alps, Lanthimos’s third movie, touches the theme of the death. The plot is about the actions of a 4 man team that, in order to sell the victim’s family a surrogate, replaces their dead relatives.

The Lobster is the first International production. It depicts a dystopic world where middle-aged people who fail to find their soul lover, are transformed into an animal of their choice.

Time will tell if Lanthimos will be able to meet the best expectations now that he is under the international spotlight.