Matt’s review published on Letterboxd:
Exactly a year ago, if you had asked me who the director I least expected to drop a film I consider a masterpiece would be, I probably would have said Yorgos Lanthimos. I hated "Dogtooth" and at that point, I had given "The Lobster" a 3/5, which was by no means a bad score, I just thought it was mediocre. I have since changed my opinion on "The Lobster" upon revisiting. At that point in time last year, I almost skipped "Killing of a Sacred Deer" in theatres because I was so uninterested in what Lanthimos was doing. That film ended up in my top ten of last year and it totally changed my opinion on Yorgos forever.
This film is even better. Like in every possible way. It's Yorgos at his stylistic peak. This is his equivalent of Wes Anderson's "The Grand Budapest Hotel", just in how it is a culmination of all elements of his style. The camerawork has never been more wide lensed and distorted, yet smooth and calculated. The actors have never been more strange and alien (but not in the same way as "The Lobster", the characters in "The Favourite" have emotions, they're just odd). The writing has never been more offbeat or witty. Despite the fact that Yorgos did not write this film, it feels perfectly tailored for his style, and it all serves as a culmination of his filmography up until this point.
This movie is also full of powerhouse performances. Oscars for Olivia Colman and Emma Stone, please. Colman is powerfully pathetic as a mad queen, playing the role as more of a child than a leader. She is not the protagonist, but she is the lead undoubtedly. She is a force of nature in this film. Emma Stone also delivers her best performance in this movie, plain and simple. She plays objectives and tactics so fucking well. She's just incredible in this film.
Yeah, this movie floored me. I laughed my ass off while simultaneously admiring the beautiful design elements of the film. Not only is it one of the best of the year, but it's also one of my new favorites of all time. A total oddity of a film that makes me wonder how I ever doubted Yorgos Lanthimos.