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Christos Stergioglou, Michelle Valley, Aggeliki Papoulia, Mary Tsoni, Christos Passalis ... see more see more... , Anna Kalaintzidou

Three young people exist in a strange world of their parents' devising in this bizarre drama from writer and director Yorgos Lanthimos. A father and mother (Christos Stergioglou and Michele Valley) li... read more read more...ve in a large house on the outskirts of town with their three children, whose ages range from mid-teens to early twenties. The children have never been allowed to leave the house (which is surrounded by a tall fence), and their knowledge of the outside world has been strictly controlled by their parents, who have chosen to teach them only what they believe is important and have deliberately confused or misled them in many other areas. The parents quite literally treat their children like animals, and the only contact the youngsters have with people outside their family is Christina (Anna Kalaitzidou), a woman who works with the father's business and comes by periodically to have sex with the eldest son (Christos Passalis). Christina makes the mistake of bringing a present for the two younger daughters (Aggeliki Papoulia and Mary Tsoni), and explains the custom is that they should give her something in return. This simple act sets off a chain reaction of events that has terrible consequences for everyone involved. Kynodontas (aka Dogtooth) was an official selection at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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72% liked it

6,279 ratings

Critics

92% liked it

61 critics

R, 1 hr. 36 min.

Directed by: Giorgos Lanthimos

Release Date: June 25, 2010

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DVD Release Date: January 25, 2011

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Flixster Reviews (1,118)

  • FrizzDrop
    April 29, 2012
    FrizzDrop
    Unsettling in an amazing amount of respects, Dogtooth is a metaphor gone to the depths of possibility, coming out the other side as a dramatic piece about the overbearing nature of parents. Two parents lock their adult children into their home and create a distinct dreamland, mis... read moredirecting their attention from real world issues, and lying to them constantly, including hiding the telephone, lying about the dangers of cats, telling them fake definitions for common words, and perpetuating a violent household by not letting their natural curiosities become sated and their questions left hanging without answer. When an outsider comes into the household everything changes for the family, as everyone starts questioning the ethics of their parents, and the decisions they have lived with their entire lives. The dynamic isn't all too interesting, and since most of this takes place in one vicinity and with several lifeless characters, it repeats itself again and again with its contant message. The characters aren't all too fleshed out, and most of this lingers on the main idea instead of exploring the reasons for the parents' decisions. The violence, sexual misadventures and taboos, I believe, are there for the sake of the film and not just to simply shock once you're comfortable with the misanthropic nature of the characters. It's obvious from the beginning that the nuclear family will not end their time well, and the film will be about exploring their realizations and bitter resignation as the outside world slowly creeps in. The ending is possibly hopeful, as the fence will soon be broached and all the lies their parents told repetitively will be proved to be just that. Most of the lies themselves are explained and their motives are evident, but the reasoning behind why they were told in the first place remains foggy. If the characters weren't so one dimensional and empty this would have been a more empathetic film overall, but I find it unrealistic and pandering throughout as a result.
  • paulkoh110
    February 7, 2012
    paulkoh110
    More than a psychology experiment than a real film, Dogtooth taps into natural human instincts. Its raw and thats what makes it you want to watch more or just cringe in the fetal position.
  • Deano78
    November 7, 2011
    Deano78
    Hmmm really didn't get the hype about this film. It's just plain odd and weird without being that entertaining. A very over protective father keeps his 3 teenage children within the compound of the family home, knowing nothing of the outside world. They have become brainwashed by... read more their parents into an odd existence. A few odd scenes and taboo sex scenes as well make it strange viewing at times. It gets a bit interesting towards the end, but it's a long slow watch to get there.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    September 7, 2011
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "A "cunt" is a large lamp. Example: The "cunt" switched off and the room got all dark."

    Dogtooth is a 2009 film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos about a husband and wife who keep their children imprisoned on their property into adulthood.

    ... read moreSchoolbook">REVIEW
    Director Giorgos Lanthimos's other-worldly study in provocation seems to be about the dangers of trying too hard to keep your children safe from the world. Not only is it harmful to them, but, as the movie suggests, it's pointless: even if your children don't actively seek out that world, the world will find them.

    To say that the patriarch in this film goes overboard in sheltering his children is a hopeless understatement. In fact, words can't really describe the experience of watching this film. I imagine watching someone perform a lobotomy in his garage might come close: what you're seeing makes you sick to your stomach, but it's also so morbidly fascinating no effort of will can make you tear your eyes away.

    I'm not sure "Dogtooth" really needs to go as far as it does to make its point. It stops just short of gratuitous, and probably crosses over that line for many. But at the same time, I probably wouldn't still be haunted by it (freaked out is probably a better choice of words) this many days after seeing it if it had been less extreme.
  • Beefy
    August 30, 2011
    Beefy
    Wow. Well done across the board. And always a true thrill when a film knows the right time to end.
  • flixsterman
    May 30, 2011
    flixsterman
    Kynodontas is both weird and wonderful. Director Giorgos Lanthimos thinks outside the box in this disturbing and darkly comedic look at a family that isolates their children from society.
  • deano
    April 27, 2011
    deano
    What I am saying is this: watching Dogtooth is one of the strangest experiences I've ever had. This Greek film with a bunch of actors who straight up killed their performances... but that's not all that makes this film great. The whole moral is to show us as humans, what h... read moreappens if you don't let natural curiousity run free. The parents in this film are protective to the extreme.
    The reason for giving this film an average is the full frontal nudity and strangely unattractive sexual content, which, in spite all nudity, did not arouse me ever so little.
    The script, filming and direction are repetitive. I understand what they were going for, to make us feel like we are in that world and the monotony of it, but the same feelings are shown over and over and over... I got it after twenty minutes. And still, we never got to see the eldest daughter break free. Also, the most interesting character, Christina, was gotten rid of half way through. I wanted to know her story and I wanted her to open their eyes.
  • itsjustme2004
    April 18, 2011
    itsjustme2004
    What the hell was that all about?? A movie can be disturbing and yet entertaining at the same time, unfortunately this movie is only disturbing. There are moments in this film where you think it has a chance, however you are quickly disappointed as it continues into the absurd. I... read more am amazed that people found this hilarious. This movie was just plain strange....but I kept watching it for some reason. What does that say about me??
  • neverteaseaweasel
    April 14, 2011
    neverteaseaweasel
    You know, I must admit that on a personal note, I get a certain amount of sadistic pleasure out of seeing overprotective, neurotic parenting played out on such a horrific, satirical way. Perhaps the most striking thing is that if the "children" were considerably younger, most peo... read moreple wouldn't have a problem with parents "protecting" their younglings from the evils of the world. I've known families that are incredibly similiar to those portrayed here and it's just as unsettling. Even in the larger society, how many parents tell their children things like "a pussy is a very big lamp." The problem is that eventually children grow up, they become tomorrow's parents. No one is perfect, but once you've a child, you must become the very best person you can and even if that fails and you fuck up, you've got to let go. Protection and dysfunction are tidy bedmates. The trick is to be able to see the difference.
  • fb619846742
    March 29, 2011
    fb619846742
    A unique, disturbing, searing depiction of the family from Hell, run by a secretive father who keeps his wife and children imprisoned at their home and does not let any of them get a sense of what the outside world is like. This is pretty much the worst case scenario of parents b... read moreeing super protective of their children, and it is a distressing, unforgettable look that is not shy at presenting itself graphically. The amount of sex in this movie does go a little over-the-top to the point where you think the director just has nothing else to go off of at times, but other than that flaw, this thing is virtually perfect. Certainly not a film for everybody, only one for mature eyes who are prepared to walk into a quiet Hellhole that has is ruled by a robotic dictator who requires his offspring to be as emotionless as he. Be warned.

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Critic Reviews

Peter Howell
January 29, 2011
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

This is the second feature for Lanthimos, and it's a leap from his well-received debut Kinetta. He skilfully doles out tantalizing pieces of information, keeping the viewer in a constant state of susp... Full Review

Jennie Punter
January 28, 2011
Jennie Punter, Globe and Mail

The true dark-horse nominee among this year's foreign-language Oscar contenders, Dogtooth leaves bite marks that stick around long after you are released from its grip. Full Review

John DeFore
January 28, 2011
John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter

Horror and cold humor commingle in Dogtooth. Full Review

Mark Olsen
January 6, 2011
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times

As a film, it's pure and singular, but it's not quite fully formed enough to be what one could call truly visionary. Full Review

Colin Covert
December 2, 2010
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

A creepy-funny art movie that holds a cracked mirror to our most cherished beliefs about family. Full Review

David Lewis
September 2, 2010
David Lewis, San Francisco Chronicle

Doesn't rank as a great film, but it's difficult to take your eyes off it, as you wonder what impossibly bizarre thing might happen next. Full Review

Wesley Morris
July 29, 2010
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe

Nothing in this weird, watchable, blasé black comedy from Greece stays innocent for long. Full Review

Michael Phillips
July 12, 2010
Michael Phillips, At the Movies

You cannot recommend it lightly because it's disturbing, but it's good. Full Review

Roger Ebert
July 8, 2010
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Dogtooth is like a car crash. You cannot look away. Full Review

June 25, 2010
New York Daily News

The father is the only one who can leave the house to go to his factory job, and that seems like a paradise for viewers trapped watching this clinically shot claptrap. Full Review

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