Yorgos Lanthimos’ filmography is expanding again with the highly anticipated Bugonia (2025). The absurdist black comedy received strong critical reviews at the Venice International Film Festival ahead of its wide release. While it will once more feature Lanthimos’ past collaborators, Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, Bugonia’s thriller premise is a change of pace for the Greek Weird Wave pioneer.
Viewers interested in Lanthimos’ work before the premiere of Bugonia can use our guide to find out how to watch all his films, ranked to the best, on platforms like Hulu, Disney+, and more.
9. Kinetta (2005)
Kinetta marks Lanthimos’ solo directorial feature film debut. The experimental film centers on the Greek seaside resort of Kinetta, where three strangers meet to pursue their obsession with recreating crime scenes. Kinetta may be Lanthimos’ most experimental film, boasting sparse dialogue, nameless protagonists, and little plot. You won’t quite understand why these strangers do what they do and what it’s supposed to mean, but it’s still a unique exploration of human behavior.
It has touches of Lanthimos’ other works with its ambiguous, absurdist nature, violence, and sexual undertones, but it’s so experimental that it will be hard to resonate with and understand. Hardcore fans of Lanthimos may enjoy this insight into his earlier work, but Kinetta’s limited appeal to audiences means it ranks last in his filmography.
8. My Best Friend (2001)
My Best Friend is Lanthimos’ feature directorial film, which he co-directed with Lakis Lazopoulos. It tells the story of Konstantinos (Lazopoulos) and Alekos (Antonis Kafetzopoulos), whose lifelong friendship unravels when Konstantinos discovers his wife is having an affair with Alekos.
Like Kinetta, My Best Friend shows hints of Lanthimos’ signature style, given its dark humor and absurdism. However, the buddy comedy atmosphere and the surface-level tackling of relationships and friendships don’t reflect his work much at all. My Best Friend’s deviation from his typical work means it will be hit-or-miss for Lanthimos fans, though it may appeal to those who like black comedies featuring absurd relationships, such as Love in the Time of Hysteria (1992).
7. Alps (2011)
Alps follows the secret organizations, Alps, in which its four members agree to impersonate clients’ deceased loved ones to help with the grieving process for a fee. The story bears a slight resemblance to Kinetta, given its premise of a group of individuals engaging in an unusual form of “art.” However, it’s less experimental and boasts more plot and dialogue, which poignantly explore ideas of grief, identity, and the blurring of the lines between reality and fiction.
You may find it hard to discern what exactly Alps is trying to say about these ideas, though, because of the absurdism and disjointed character stories within the movie. Like the previous movies on this list, Alps boasts the’ absurdism and experimental nature of Lanthimos’ work, but the lack of structure and confusing storyline keep it from ranking higher in his filmography.
6. The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
The Killing of a Sacred Deer tells the story of Martin (Barry Keoghan), a troubled teenager who begins to infiltrate Dr. Steven Murphy’s (Colin Farrell) family and life in an unsettling manner. It’s an intense and often disturbing psychological revenge thriller, but it also has hints of absurdism and black comedy that shine through the outrageous plot and exaggerated depictions of violence.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer is marketed as a horror movie, too, although the horror elements are a little lacking. Viewers will find the film strange, absurd, and disturbing, but not necessarily scary. Still, it boasts more of Lanthimos’ signature style than Kinetta and My Best Friend, making it perfect for viewers seeking a film with a subtly unsettling atmosphere, such as Goodnight Mommy (2022) and Cure (1997).
5. Kinds of Kindness (2024)
Kinds of Kindness tells its story through three vignettes, which feature the same actors but are related only by their themes of relationships, power, and desperation. The movie is delightfully weird and wholly engaging as the three-story format keeps introducing new premises and characters that make the three-hour runtime a little more palatable. Kinds of Kindness’s performances are also top-notch, as Plemons, Stone, and Willem Dafoe make each performance distinct and nuanced.
It’s also one of Lanthimos’ more ambitious films, and one that delves the most into his favorite subject: the human condition. Although Kinds of Kindness may be a little bleak and long for some viewers, fans of Lanthimos will love its bold and experimental premise. If you loved the triptych construction and absurd, cynical exploration of humanity in Triangle of Sadness (2022), Kinds of Kindness is the perfect Lanthimos movie for you.
4. The Lobster (2015)
The Lobster centers on David (Farrell), a newly single man who stays at a hotel where individuals are required to find love in 45 days or else face transformation into an animal of their choice.
The Lobster has the absurdism and black comedy of the typical Lanthimos movie, but it boasts sharper and more biting satire than Kinds of Kindness and The Killing of a Sacred Deer. It fully embraces the Weird Greek Wave while offering a comedic and surprisingly touching critique of a relationship-obsessed society. If you enjoy the absurdity of Lanthimos’ works, but are seeking something less ambiguous and more likely to resonate with the average viewer, The Lobster is an excellent choice.
3. The Favourite (2018)
The Favourite is a period black comedy that tells the story of three cousins, each vying for the favor of the ailing Queen Anne (Olivia Coleman) during the War of the Spanish Succession. It is one of the rare Lanthimos films to boast a period setting, which opens the door for some interesting political commentary and exploration of power and class dynamics.
Like The Lobster, it also marks more of Lanthimos’ biting satire, elevating the comedic tone and thought-provoking nature of the movie. The Favourite also offers some of Lanthimos' best costume and set designs, as well as a riveting score. It’s well-made, wild, absurd, and hilarious, though not all audiences will enjoy its over-the-top nature and vulgarity. Fans of The Great (2020), The Death of Stalin (2017), and other projects with dark, hilarious takes on historical periods will enjoy The Favourite.
2. Poor Things (2023)
Poor Things is set in Victorian London and follows Bella Baxter (Stone), a young woman brought back to life by a mad scientist. The only caveat is that the adult woman is resurrected with the mind of an infant. Poor Things is just as wild, imaginative, vulgar, and darkly comedic as The Favourite. However, it slightly surpasses The Favourite, mainly due to Stone’s award-winning performance as she perfectly captures Bella’s journey from an individual with an infant-like capacity to a capable, independent woman.
The film is quite profound in its exploration of oppression, liberation, and autonomy. With exquisite costume designs, powerful performances, and one of the best, weirdest dance sequences in cinema, Poor Things is a one-of-a-kind experience.
1. Dogtooth (2009)
Dogtooth is one of Lanthimos’ darker films, as it tells the story of three adult siblings who are imprisoned by their parents in a large compound and shielded from the outside world, despite their curiosity about it. The film is reminiscent of the Weird Greek Wave, but also of the New French Extremity due to its graphic depictions of abuse and violence.
While Dogtooth is a difficult watch, the violence and abuse feel more purposeful than in works like The Killing of a Sacred Deer. It’s a very bold film in tackling the dangers of indoctrination, repression, and sheltered communities with unflinching realism and horror. Dogooth is just as well-made, absurd, and engaging as Poor Things and The Favourite, but with a message and theme that feels even more urgent and bold, giving it a slight edge over all of Lanthimos’ other filmography.
