Lamb

I wouldn't categorize Lamb as a horror movie, more a mystery drama. In my case I figured out the "mystery" from almost the beginning but still it's worth a watch. It's not fast paced, but it's well filmed and the acting is more than decent. Strange to hear Noomi Rapace speaking Icelandic for the first time in a movie. Strange is also the plot, a bit weird but that doesn't mean bad. It's probably not going to be to everyone's taste but if you have an open mind and like something different you might enjoy this one.

While I basically agree with the main statement the film makes, and perhaps the statement is even timely to some degree. However the film starts to feel very ho-hum nearing the midpoint. It's not all that interestingly told, nor does it come across as a meditation on it's main idea or ideas as well as it was likely intended to. To me it spent too much time in nowhere land. Perhaps if I understood Icelandic I would have gotten more out of it, I'm not entirely sure about that. Also, this is really not a horror film at all. It's somewhat dark, like an old folktale but mostly quite overt and not at all scary. I was enjoying the film for the first while, it sets up reasonably well, but it really never ends up giving you much of anything very interesting to chew on. There likely is some symbolism in the film that I didn't fully unravel; However what is here really seems too unimportant to care much for given the overall fairly aimless and stale feeling the film mostly has past the midway point. It's all very simple for the most part and in the end, a little silly really. This could've possibly made a great short film. There just isn't enough heart or guts or real substance in the film to be a feature in my view. It's not bad, but I would say skip it unless you're really into these kinds of old folktales. I love a good thinker and a good slow burn, but honestly there's not all that much here to think about. It tries to strike a fire in the viewers mind perhaps, but there's not enough fuel to light it and nothing much to burn. 5.5/10.

Lamb is a suspenseful and artistic film that showcases some great performances. I loved its beautiful cinematography and stunning colour palette. I also found it's themes of parenthood, loss and isolation interesting. At times, I wondered if the makers were commenting on real-world issues such as The Stolen Generation of Indigenous children in Australia.

But, as interesting as the concept was, the storyline just felt a little thin and not enough happened over the 90 minutes. Also, I don't think this film has been categorised correctly. There are a couple of violent scenes, but Lamb doesn't really qualify as a horror in my opinion. Instead, I'd describe it as a 'folk drama'.

There are certain things that can not be explained. And then even if they are explained - you do not get the full explanation. You just get an answer to one question - but there are so many other questions that open up. One thing that is for sure, as our two main characters do not question certain things, you shouldn't either - you will likely have less fun, if you try to depict things that happen and the sense they may or may not make.

Yes even in the realm of the world the movie is playing in. There is not much dialog here, but the sound design and the cinematography make up for that - and for the movie being slow paced. You have to be into that sort of films to consider watching this. I had no idea what the movie would do - and I would say I was kind of shocked by certain reveals. But it does make sense - if you think of the beginning and where it ends. Even if you may have wished a different one ... just don't start asking ...

María and Ingvar are sheep farmers in Iceland, stuck in both a rut and a one-sided loveless marriage as each day of tending to the sheep rolls into the next. Upon the birth of a lamb that doesn't seem to quite be a lamb, the couple's caring for it ultimately changes the dynamic of their relationship. What seems to be a happy development for this couple is marred for the audience by the constant feeling of something not quite being on the level, with both this new lamb and the circumstances around its birth. As the film progresses, other outside elements creep into María and Ingvar's happy little domestic life, changing them forever.

Two fair warnings for Lamb upfront: first, beware for any viewers that might be a bit squeamish, as we are treated to multiple live birthing of animals. Second, Lamb isn't what you think it is. While being billed as a supernatural horror film, the trailers are cut to slightly deceive those expecting something more on the level of Hereditary or Midsommar, also movies distributed by the vaunted company A24. A24 has become synonymous with producing and distributing off kilter movies that aren't afraid to take risks and delight in serving up horror that can shake the faith of even the staunchest fans of the genre. Lamb is not that. What the film is, however, is a meditation on grief and loss, the processing of said grief, and how that processing can negatively impact others. Through an incredibly sparse script, co-written by director Valdimar Jóhannsson, the real horror is the time spent waiting for the other shoe to inevitably drop. Lamb is a 95 minute buildup waiting for the last five or so minutes to deliver. While Jóhannsson excels at maintaining the overall creepy atmosphere of an isolated couple dealing with the birth of an unnatural mammal, the overall story itself is a bit thin. Again, Lamb isn't what you think it is.

Starring Noomi Rapace as María and Hilmir Snaer Gudnason as her husband Ingvar, a lot of the story between the couple is conveyed in its subtlety between the actors. The film opens on the immediate realization that the feelings in this marriage have all but faded for one of them, with the appearance of the titular Lamb as the catalyst for change between the two. The cause of the waning feelings is never explicitly stated but left for the audience to pick up on; Jóhannsson trust the audience to fit the pieces together. While difficult to pick up on at first, the signs of slow, hopeful transformation are there: a smile, a light brush of the hand. Seeing the love creep back into a couple is far more refreshing than its opposite and both actors play their parts well. Just as things seem to be changing for the better, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson enters the fray as Pétur, Ingvar's brother, who seems to be much more interested in María than in Ingvar. While this rouge element is meant to shake up this newly forming status quo and send the story on its head, the resulting unraveling of events more fizzles than explodes.

Directed by Valdimar Jóhannsson, his first feature-length film, Lamb is more concerned with mood and tone than anything else; a word isn't spoken between our two main characters for the first 10 minutes. While the story lacks any narrative thrust, the direction attempts to make up for that. Smart camera placement that hints at subtle reminders of the placement of certain objects shows the care and detail that went into the production of the film. Jóhannsson's pacing is slow, methodical. Lamb takes its time in the unraveling of events, letting the audience fully understand the dynamic between the characters and Ada, the lamb. The real standout of the film is in its cinematography; lingering beautiful establishing shots of the countryside the couple live in makes Lamb less of a supernatural horror and more an invitation to visit Iceland.

Overall, Lamb is a visually dazzling movie with little in the way of an actual story. The incredibly slow burn from Jóhannsson moves at a glacial pace, letting the mood do much of the heavy lifting. While Guðnason and Haraldsson turn in fairly subdued performances, Noomi Rapace is the obvious star of the film with the widest emotional journey. The supernatural elements lurk in the background, lending a possible misnomer for what the film actually is: a domestic drama between a couple whose lives are upheaved by the birth of this unnatural animal. Lamb hits theaters October 8th.