It is weird to think about now, but for nearly two decades, Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman never shared a single frame of film. They were basically two ships passing in the Hollywood night. Then 2017 happened.
Suddenly, they weren't just co-stars; they were the faces of the most unsettling, atmospheric cinema of the year. They released two massive projects back-to-back: The Beguiled and The Killing of a Sacred Deer. Both films premiered at the 70th Cannes Film Festival, which is a hell of a way to debut a professional partnership. Honestly, the "Colin Farrell Nicole Kidman movie" vibe is usually synonymous with high-anxiety, slow-burn tension.
If you’re looking for a lighthearted rom-com, you’ve definitely come to the wrong place. These two specialize in the kind of movies that make you want to take a long walk afterward just to process what you saw.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer: A Lesson in Discomfort
This is the one people usually talk about first. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos—the guy behind The Lobster and Poor Things—it’s a psychological horror that feels like a cold sweat. Farrell plays Steven Murphy, a cardiac surgeon who has it all: a beautiful wife, Anna (Kidman), two kids, and a very expensive watch collection.
The plot kicks off when Steven starts a secret, mentor-like friendship with a teenage boy named Martin, played with terrifying stillness by Barry Keoghan. Eventually, things get... dark. Martin reveals that because Steven made a mistake on the operating table that killed Martin’s father, a "balance" must be struck. Steven has to choose one of his own family members to kill, or they will all eventually succumb to paralysis and death.
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Why the acting feels so robotic
One thing people often get wrong about this movie is the dialogue. It’s monotone. It’s flat. It’s almost like they’re reading a manual for how to be a human being rather than actually being one.
Lanthimos does this on purpose. By stripping away the emotional "fluff" of traditional acting, he forces you to focus on the raw, brutal choices the characters are making. Kidman and Farrell are masters at this. They deliver lines about domestic chores with the same weight as lines about ritual sacrifice. It’s deeply unnerving.
Kidman, in particular, has a scene where she basically offers herself up as the one to be sacrificed to save the kids, arguing that they "can always have another child." It’s cold. It’s pragmatic. It’s pure Nicole Kidman at her most fearless.
The Beguiled: Civil War Sexual Tension
Switching gears from modern-day medical horror to Southern Gothic, Sofia Coppola’s The Beguiled is a very different beast. It’s a remake of a 1971 Clint Eastwood film, but Coppola flips the perspective.
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Farrell plays John McBurney, a wounded Union soldier who stumbles onto the grounds of an all-girls boarding school in Virginia. Kidman is Miss Martha, the headmistress.
The movie is basically a pressure cooker. You’ve got a group of women who haven't seen a man in years, and suddenly this charming Irishman is in their parlor. The jealousy and competition between Kidman’s character, Kirsten Dunst’s teacher, and the younger students (like Elle Fanning) start to simmer until the lid eventually blows off.
A different kind of Farrell
Unlike the bearded, stiff surgeon in Sacred Deer, Farrell’s McBurney is a "charmer." Or at least he tries to be. He’s a survivor. He tells every woman exactly what she wants to hear.
- To Kidman: He plays the respect card, treating her like the commander she is.
- To Dunst: He’s the romantic escape she’s been dreaming of.
- To Fanning: He’s the forbidden fruit.
The turning point—and skip this if you really hate spoilers—is an amputation. After McBurney takes a tumble and breaks his leg, Kidman’s character decides to take it off to "save" him. Was it medically necessary? Maybe. Was it a way to take away his power so he couldn't leave? Also maybe. The ambiguity is where the movie lives.
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Why do they keep working together?
It’s all about trust. Kidman has gone on record saying she felt "safe" with Farrell, especially during the more intimate or bizarre scenes in the Lanthimos film. When you’re doing a scene where you have to pretend to be under general anesthesia while your husband approaches you (yeah, Sacred Deer is weird), you need to know your partner isn't going to make it weirder than it already is.
Farrell, for his part, treats these roles like a blue-collar job. He’s said in interviews that he views bold scenes as "business." You get in, you tell the story, you hear "cut," and you make sure your co-star has a robe. That professional distance actually allows them to go to much darker places on screen.
What to watch first?
If you want to understand the Colin Farrell Nicole Kidman movie phenomenon, start with The Beguiled. It’s more visually "pretty" and has a more traditional narrative structure. It’s a great entry point into their chemistry.
If you’re a fan of A24, Kubrick-style cinematography, or movies that make you feel like you're losing your mind, go for The Killing of a Sacred Deer. Just don't eat spaghetti while you watch it. (If you’ve seen the Keoghan scene, you know exactly why).
Essential Actionable Steps
- Check the platforms: As of 2026, both films frequently rotate through Max and Netflix. The Killing of a Sacred Deer is almost always available for a cheap rental on Prime Video if you can't find it streaming.
- Watch the 1971 original: If you liked The Beguiled, find the Clint Eastwood version. It’s much more "grindhouse" and less atmospheric, but seeing the contrast in how Kidman and Farrell handle the roles versus the original cast is fascinating.
- Explore the "Greek Weird Wave": If the Farrell/Kidman pairing in Sacred Deer worked for you, check out Lanthimos’ other work like The Lobster (also starring Farrell) or The Favourite.
- Look for the 2017 Cannes interviews: There are several roundtable discussions from that year featuring both actors. Seeing them joke around in real life is a necessary palate cleanser after watching them suffer together on screen.
These movies aren't just "star vehicles." They are specific, curated pieces of art that happen to feature two of the best actors of their generation finally getting the chance to mess with our heads.