Yorgos Lanthimos Ranked: The Weird Wave King

The Greek Weird Wave is a postmodern film movement within Greek cinema that began in the late 2000s as a result of the country’s economic and social instability, in part due to the 2008 financial crisis. Characterized by surreal premises, macabre humor, and overall weirdness, films within this movement often explore political and cultural themes with disturbing twists.

Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos has a history of working closely within this genre, winning countless awards—from a Golden Lion to an Academy Award—and transcending geographic and linguistic boundaries alongside his weird little films. Truly, Lanthimos has solidified himself as a leading figure of the Weird Wave, in spite of his transition into English-language features in the last decade or so.

With his upcoming film Bugonia (2025) slated for theatrical release October 31st, there’s no better time to rank all of Lanthimos’s feature-length projects (save for My Best Friend, his 2001 co-directorial debut with actor Lakis Lazopoulos that is so hard to find it’s not even listed on his official website) that have spanned his storied career. Strap in—this is gonna get weird.

#8: Alps (2011)

A woman (Angeliki Papoulia) solemnly hugs a man in a room filled with lamps and chandeliers. They are inside and it is daytime. — Angeliki Papoulia as a nurse/grief “substitute” in *Alps* (Haos Film).

Lanthimos’s Alps premiered at the 68th Venice International Film Festival where the director and his longtime collaborator Efthimis Filippou won the Golden Osella for Best Screenplay. The psychological drama follows a nurse (Angeliki Papoulia), paramedic (Aris Servetalis), gymnast (Ariane Labed), and coach (Johnny Vekris) who offer services to grieving friends, family, and colleagues in which they temporarily impersonate deceased individuals.

In spite of its unique premise, brief runtime, and universal themes of death, grief, and lives left behind, the film proves depressingly dull. From its slow pace to its excess of characters and absurd scenarios, Alps feels a bit too dense for its own good. While some may appreciate Lanthimos’s iconically awkward, deadpan humor, this early work of his, understandably, isn’t his most beloved.

#7: Kinetta (2005)

A woman (Evangelia Randou) sits on the ground outside an open car door, her legs inside the car. She is backing away from a menacing hand reaching out from inside the car. They are on a beach shore. They are outside and it is daytime. — Evangelia Randou as a chambermaid with questionable acting skills in *Kinetta* (Kino Lorber).

Lanthimos’s solo directorial debut, Kinetta, is where the filmmaker’s longstanding relationship with the Greek Weird Wave truly begins. The psychological drama premiered at the 2005 Toronto Film Festival to mixed reviews. The film takes place at a Greek hotel during the off-season where a chambermaid (Evangelia Randou), a man obsessed with BMWs (Costas Xikominos), and a photo-store clerk (Aris Servetalis) attempt to film and photograph poorly-reenacted struggles between a man and a woman.

Stylistically, this is a classic Lanthimos feature with strange characters and even stranger scenarios, a moody atmosphere, and a distinct use of color. However, the film fails to expand upon its unique, yet simple premise in any meaningful capacity, making for a rather boring viewing experience.

Today, Lanthimos is known for his screenplays; however, the majority of Kinetta is achingly silent, causing its lonely characters to act in voyeuristic ways that produce more questions than answers. Those looking for a relatively peaceful Lanthimos watch might find meaning where there seems to be none, but, in the end, shouldn’t expect much from this early project of his.

#6: Dogtooth (2009)

A man (Hristos Passali) faces away from the camera, standing up against a bush of tall grass. There is a tall fence behind the bush. He is outside and it is daytime. — Hristos Passalis as a sheltered teenager in *Dogtooth* (Kino Lorber).

Lanthimos’ (arguably) most disturbing feature, Dogtooth, premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, winning the Prix Un Certain Regard. The absurdist psychological drama follows three teenagers (Mary Tsoni, Angeliki Papoulia, and Hristos Passalis) who live on an isolated country estate and are taught a restrained way of life by their controlling parents (Michele Valley and Christos Stergioglou).

With the association of words like “zombie” to concepts like yellow flowers and the parents’ invention of an exiled brother, this film is not without its satirical—almost dystopic—quirks. That said, its themes of oppressive parental control over children who know of no other way of living and its graphic depiction of forced incest make the film—in spite of its aesthetically-pleasing cinematography and surreal nature—extremely hard to stomach.

Those particularly sensitive to subjects such as parental abuse and incest should steer clear of this Lanthimos feature. However, for those interested in macabre dissections of family and identity, Dogtooth is an ideal next watch.

#5: The Lobster (2015)

A man in a suit (Colin Farrell) leads a woman in a suit (Rachel Weisz) through a field of tall grass. She is wearing dark glasses. There is a body of water in the background. They are outside and it is daytime. — (L-R) Colin Farrell as romantic David and Rachel Weisz as an unnamed short-sighted woman in *The Lobster* (A24).

Delving into Lanthimos’s English-language features, The Lobster premiered at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, taking home the Jury Prize. The black comedy-drama follows David (Colin Farrell), a single man who is taken to a hotel where single citizens must find a romantic partner within 45 days or get transformed into an animal of their choosing.

From its incredible performances by stars Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, and Léa Seydoux to its heartfelt comedic moments against a bleak dystopian backdrop, this film is a surreal tale of freedom and an unconventional romance wrapped in a neat 2-hour runtime. While the ending feels a bit flat compared to the rest of its jam-packed plot, its heart and wit is there, proving The Lobster is the true beginning to Lanthimos’s excellent filmography.

#4: Kinds of Kindness (2024)

A woman (Margaret Qualley) and two men (Jesse Plemons and Willem Dafoe) embrace in bed. They are inside and it is daytime. — (L-R) Margaret Qualley, Jesse Plemons, and Willem Dafoe as a rotating cast of characters in *Kinds of Kindness* (Searchlight Pictures).

Lanthimos’ most recent feature-length project, Kinds of Kindness, is a triptych anthology film that tells three comedic stories all starring Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Mamoudou Athie, and Joe Alwyn in a rotating cast of characters trapped in absurd scenarios.

From Jesse Plemons taking Willem Dafoe’s mundane orders to Emma Stone cutting her own finger off to Margaret Qualley raising the dead, this film showcases Lanthimos in his prime state of weirdness. As always, the filmmaker does not shy away from graphic body horror and depictions of sensitive subjects (including sexual assault) which may upset those new to Lanthimos’s shocking style.

Overall, Kinds of Kindness is a highly entertaining feature with outstanding performances from start-to-finish and, while its pacing feels off at times, its segmented nature makes the nearly three-hour-long runtime fly by.

#3: The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)

A woman in a nightgown (Nicole Kidman as Anna) stands in a dark room, looking pensive. She is inside and it is nighttime. — Nicole Kidman as Anna Murphy in *The Killing of a Sacred Deer* (A24).

One of Lanthimos’s most thrilling films to date, The Killing of a Sacred Deer follows Dr. Steven Murphy (Colin Farrell) whose idyllic life with his wife (Nicole Kidman) and two children (Raffey Cassidy and Sunny Suljic) is disturbed by Martin (Barry Keoghan), a fatherless teen who grows increasingly obsessed with the family. From its grotesque opening scene, this film proves unsettling in more ways than one.

Creepy performances from then-breakout star Barry Keoghan and Lanthimos’s typical deadpan (yet oh-so-sincere) comedic timing make this a gripping viewing experience from start to finish. For fans of psychological thrillers that don’t shy away from the bloody details, The Killing of a Sacred Deer might just be the best introduction to Lanthimos’s prolific body of work.

#2: The Favourite (2018)

A woman (Olivia Colman as Queen Anne) ties another woman's (Rachel Weisz as Lady Sarah) blindfold in an opulent chamber filled with art. They are inside and it is daytime. — (L-R) Rachel Weisz as Lady Sarah Churchill and Olivia Colman as Queen Anne in *The Favourite* (Searchlight Pictures).

Co-written by Australian producer Tony McNamara and British screenwriter Deborah Davis, The Favourite premiered at the 75th Venice International Film Festival where it won the Grand Jury Prize. Based on true events, the film takes place in early 18th-century England and follows the sapphic, tension-riddled relationships between Queen Anne (Olivia Colman), Lady Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz), and Sarah’s cousin Abigail Hill (Emma Stone).

From Colman’s Oscar-winning performance to the lesbian shenanigans of it all, The Favourite is a fun, yet thrilling depiction of feminine obsession and the fragility of the human condition. For stunning cinematography, lovely costume design, cynical characters, and rabbit metaphors galore, The Favourite is a memorable (yet relatively digestible) addition to Lanthimos’s filmography.

#1: Poor Things (2023)

A woman (Emma Stone as Bella Baxter) dances in a ballroom. She is inside and it is nighttime. — Emma Stone as the iconic Bella Baxter in *Poor Things* (Searchlight Pictures).

Last, but certainly not least, Poor Things follows Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), a young woman brought back to life by an eccentric scientist (Willem Dafoe) who runs away from her isolated life with a lawyer (Mark Ruffalo) to pursue equality with her peers and liberation from her past.

Written by Tony McNamara and based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Alasdair Gray, Poor Things remains Lanthimos’s most well-known achievement since the film’s 2023 Oscars sweep—and for good reason. Not only is Emma Stone a perfect Bella Baxter, the character is an excellent representation of how many young women feel growing up in an oftentimes cruel and unforgiving world. Not only is Bella’s story compelling and relatable, but her sense of style and inquisitive, no-nonsense nature make her a joy to behold on the big screen.

A film in which Dafoe plays God, Ruffalo plays desperate, and Stone plays child-turned-philosopher, Poor Things is a horny, comedic drama about a woman on a quest to discover her true purpose in life. In spite of its long runtime and valid critiques of Bella’s infantilized characterization, Poor Things celebrates Yorgos Lanthimos’s unique style of filmmaking at its weirdest and most profound, making it his best feature to date.