Calming Heads

A wealthy family in Greece lives under the strict, controlling influence of their parents, who dictate every aspect of their lives, from relationships to daily routines. When the youngest daughter's unusual death occurs, her family embarks on a bizarre and increasingly unsettling journey to cope with their grief and maintain the carefully constructed facade of their lives. This leads to extreme and dark explorations of their familial bonds and psychological states.

Yorgos Lanthimos's sophomore feature, 'Calming Heads' (original title: 'Kynodontas'), garnered significant international attention and critical acclaim for its provocative themes, unique directorial style, and unsettling examination of familial control and societal norms. While divisive due to its dark and often disturbing subject matter, it was widely praised for its originality and artistic merit, earning numerous awards and nominations, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.

• Praised for its chillingly detached and absurd portrayal of a totalitarian family dynamic.

• Celebrated for Lanthimos's distinctive, unsettling directorial voice and dark humor.

• Noted for its uncomfortable yet compelling exploration of control, obedience, and psychological manipulation.

Google audience: Google users generally appreciate the film's artistic boldness and thought-provoking, albeit disturbing, narrative. Many found the film uniquely unsettling and memorable, highlighting its dark humor and masterful direction. Some viewers found it too extreme or difficult to watch, but critical consensus leans towards its significant artistic achievement.

Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, Un Certain Regard Award at Cannes Film Festival, numerous international film festival awards.

The surreal and unsettling atmosphere of the film was partly achieved through deliberately unnatural dialogue delivery, with actors encouraged to speak in a monotone, almost robotic fashion to enhance the sense of detachment and control.