Yorgos Lanthimos

The Profile

Yorgos Lanthimos is a Greek film director and screenwriter known for surreal, satirical cinema often centered on power dynamics, repression, and human absurdity.

Publicly known as an internationally acclaimed Greek filmmaker associated with the so-called Greek Weird Wave; his films include Dogtooth, The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Favourite, and Poor Things.

Across these reviews, Lanthimos is framed as a major contemporary auteur: satirical, surreal, and deliberately uncomfortable. Recurring themes include sex as a social engine, power dynamics, repression, and the absurd rules governing relationships. His style is repeatedly praised (wide-angle visuals, symmetry, soundtracks), even by reviewers who criticize narrative choices or endings. Several reviews highlight a shift toward more accessible “major production” filmmaking with The Favourite and Poor Things. Comparisons and reference points frequently cited include Stanley Kubrick, Luis Buñuel, and Michael Haneke.