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The Unsettling World of Yorgos Lanthimos And His Unique Filmmaking Style

The Unsettling World of Yorgos Lanthimos And His Unique Filmmaking Style
March 19, 2025

Some filmmakers entertain, some make us think, and then there’s Yorgos Lanthimos, who does both but in the most unusual way. His films are weird, unsettling, and sometimes even funny in a way that makes you uncomfortable. Whether it’s the bizarre dystopia of The Lobster (2015), the twisted world of The Favourite (2018), or the surreal madness of Poor Things (2023), Lanthimos doesn’t just tell stories, he messes with our heads. But what makes him so unique? How does he stand apart from the rest of the filmmaking world?

Thematic Obsessions

Lanthimos loves exploring human behaviour, but he does it in a way that feels robotic, exaggerated, and sometimes downright weird. His characters talk in a flat, emotionless way, follow strict rules, and live in worlds where things seem normal at first but get stranger the more you watch.

The Unsettling World of Yorgos Lanthimos And His Unique Filmmaking Style
The Lobster film poster

In The Lobster (2015), he imagines a world where single people must find a romantic partner or be turned into animals. Sounds absurd, right? But beneath the weirdness, it cleverly pokes fun at how society pressures us to find love. Similarly, The Favourite (2018) turns a historical drama into a sharp, darkly comic power struggle between three women, using his signature awkward humour and absurdity to reimagine period storytelling.

Lanthimos also loves playing with guilt and consequences, as seen in The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017), where a surgeon is forced into a horrifying moral dilemma. Poor Things (2023) takes things even further, turning a Frankenstein-like story into a wild journey of self-discovery, questioning gender roles and personal freedom. His latest work, Kinds of Kindness (2024), continues his exploration of rigid structures and control, weaving three separate but interconnected stories about power, fate, and human obedience. His films are always about people trapped in strange, rule-bound worlds, struggling to break free.

Aesthetics and Cinematic Techniques

Visually, Lanthimos’ films stand out immediately. He often uses wide-angle lenses, making everything look a little off-balance and unsettling. His camera movements are slow and deliberate, sometimes zooming in awkwardly or keeping the frame too still for too long, making you feel like an outsider watching something unnatural.

He also plays with colour and lighting in interesting ways. The Favourite (2018) and Poor Things (2023) are full of rich, period-piece colours, but there’s always something odd about them. His historical settings don’t feel like typical costume dramas; instead, they feel almost modern in their energy, thanks to their offbeat performances and unusual dialogue.

One of his boldest choices is how he directs actors. Instead of natural, emotional performances, he has them speak in a detached, monotone style. This makes their actions even more unsettling because their words and emotions don’t always match what’s happening. It’s bizarre but totally effective in pulling the audience into his strange worlds.

How He Breaks Film Conventions

The Unsettling World of Yorgos Lanthimos And His Unique Filmmaking Style
The Killing Of A Sacred Deer film poster

Lanthimos doesn’t follow traditional storytelling rules. His films don’t have predictable plots or conventional character arcs. Instead, they unfold in unexpected, sometimes shocking ways. His worlds have strict rules, and his characters either follow them blindly or try to break free, often with disastrous consequences.

Another key element of his work is discomfort. Most films build tension and eventually offer some relief, but Lanthimos thrives on making his audience feel uneasy throughout. In The Killing of a Sacred Deer, for example, the sense of doom just keeps growing, and by the end, you’re left feeling deeply disturbed. In The Lobster, the humour is so dry and awkward that you’re not sure whether to laugh or feel sorry for the characters.

He also loves blending genres. His films mix drama, horror, and satire in a way that’s hard to categorize. One moment, you’re watching something that feels like a romance, and the next, it’s a horror film. This constant shifting keeps audiences on edge and makes his work impossible to fit into a single box.

 

What Sets Yorgos Lanthimos Apart?

What makes Lanthimos unique is his dark humour. While many filmmakers create deeply psychological dramas or embrace chaos and emotion, Lanthimos keeps a cool, almost clinical distance from his stories. His characters act as if they’re following some unseen, rigid rulebook, and that eerie detachment makes everything feel even stranger.

The Unsettling World of Yorgos Lanthimos And His Unique Filmmaking Style
Poor Things film poster

What’s even more impressive is how he transitioned from Greek indie films to Hollywood without losing his unique style. Many directors struggle to keep their voice when moving to bigger budgets, but Lanthimos has worked with major stars like Emma Stone, Colin Farrell, and Olivia Colman while staying true to his weird, unsettling approach. His recent films, The Favourite, Poor Things, and Kinds of Kindness, have all been highly acclaimed, proving that his distinct style works even in mainstream cinema.

Yorgos Lanthimos isn’t just another filmmaker; he’s an artist who challenges the way we experience movies. His films don’t follow the usual emotional beats. Instead, they make us question everything—how we communicate, how we follow rules, and what it means to be human. Whether through strange dialogue, unsettling visuals, or absurd stories, he keeps us on our toes, never giving easy answers.

At a time when most films follow predictable formulas, Lanthimos reminds us that cinema can still be strange, shocking, and thought-provoking. His work stays with you long after the credits roll, making you question the world around you. And in today’s world of safe, conventional storytelling, that’s something truly special.

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