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Poster for Dogtooth

Dogtooth

Seen it?

2009 | 98 min | Drama

Saturday Special

Why it’s a Saturday Special

Critics loved it (93% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it's still drawing plenty of interest. A strong pick for the weekend.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for anyone who loves a strong drama. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Thoughtful and character-driven.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 38 min.
What might put you off
  • It's in another language, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

Three teenagers are confined to an isolated country estate that could very well be on another planet. The trio spend their days listening to endless homemade tapes that teach them a whole new vocabulary. Any word that comes from beyond their family abode is instantly assigned a new meaning. Hence 'the sea' refers to a large armchair and 'zombies' are little yellow flowers. Having invented a brother whom they claim to have ostracized for his disobedience, the uber-controlling parents terrorize their offspring into submission.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    93% on Rotten Tomatoes, 73 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.0 out of 10

  • AwardsSolid

    Won 1 Cannes award: Cannes Film Festival: Best Foreign Film. Also nominated for 1 Oscar. Plus 15 other awards.

  • Box office & staying powerSolid

    $1 million worldwide on a $275K budget; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactStrong

    About 443K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos

  • Christos StergioglouFather
  • Michele ValleyMother
  • Hristos PassalisSon
  • Angeliki PapouliaOlder Daughter
  • Mary TsoniYounger Daughter
  • Anna KalaitzidouChristina
  • Steve KrikrisColleague
  • Sissi PetropoulouSecretary
  • Alexander VoulgarisDog Trainer