Lamb

I've not watched much Icelandic cinema. So I can't tell you if this is typical. I can tell you it's good though. It's sparse and wintery as you might guess. It's also a bit dark and magical. Maria (Noomi Rapace) and Ingvar (Hilmir Snær Guõnason) live on a remote farm. It's quiet, idyllic. Lots of hard work and they're vastly outnumbered by animals. They seem lonely. Unhappy even. Something missing. Iceland looks incredible. Almost unreal and it's used to great effect. It's all beautifully shot, from the amazing mountain vistas to the barns housing the sheep they tend. They're lives are changed, seemingly for the better when a new lamb is born, a little different from the rest. It's clear that shes used to mask an earlier unseen loss and for this reason things are going to end badly. Now this newborn creature is quite literally fantastic. So much so, it could rip you right out of the otherwise believable narrative, but she's so adorable you just go with it. Things get a little more complicated when Ingvar's brother Pétur (Björn Hlyner Haraldsson) turns up, but that's really not the half of it. Calling this Lamb and having one with such an arresting role is misleading though, there's a lot more to unpack. Iceland is gorgeous. Lambs are very cute. Loneliness is deadly.

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.

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.

What did I just watch? These were the first words running through my mind at the conclusion of 'Lamb'. This was not the film I expected by any measure. To be fair I don't think many who go in blind are going to be expecting what they get. A bizarre experience to say the least.

The film is set in a beautiful location. It's a pleasure to look at. You're going to see the horror tag attached to this movie, and it is in a odd sort of way I suppose, but mostly this is a drama with a twist. If you go in expecting a horror you're likely going to come away disappointed.

Whether this story will connect with you or not is anyone's guess. There are people who are going to hate every second of it, and there are people who will love it. I fell somewhere in the middle personally. It's unapologetically different though and I respect that a lot. 6/10.

The story that "Lamb" tells is so bizarre that I imagine just coming up with it would warrant an involuntary admission to an inpatient psychiatric hospital. I, for one, definitely felt like I needed to give myself over to the authorities after watching this movie - not because I committed any crime, but instead to allow the detectives to piece the plot together for me. "Lamb" is either a surrealistic folktale that its audience is meant to take very literally, or a sort of metaphorical, symbolic tale that we are supposed to decipher through careful observation of the film's characters. And truth be told, however you decide to view this film, it works.

Whether you want to watch this movie with the viewpoint that everything it is showing you is actually happening or with the perspective that there is something deeper beyond the surface level, "Lamb" does require a certain amount of effort from the viewer in order to be fully compelling - you'll know within the first 60 seconds of the movie starting whether or not it's your cup of tea. To give you an example of how polarizing this movie is, during my showing three teenage males walked out after about 20 minutes, and one girl was so bored and in a rush to exit the cinema that she actually fell down the stairs. That's right, "Lamb" is single handedly responsible for what I imagine could have only been the breaking of one of her bones, because upon her tumble she started sniffling and crying like a newborn baby - at the least, she's sure never to forget this movie experience! But by no means do you have to go on and break your own bones to find some entertainment value from this movie, as long as you have the patience to sit still and watch it.

If you don't like slow movies, you won't like this - it's that simple. "Lamb" features long, drawn out scenes of (gorgeous) Icelandic scenery, minimal dialogue, and characters doing random things such as tending to their fields, helping sheep give birth, and dancing (what A24 film doesn't have dancing at this point? It's becoming their staple). Not until Ada is introduced does the movie start to slightly pick up some steam. And who is Ada? Well, you know from the trailer: Ada is the baby lamb that our two main characters start to take care of as if it were their own child.

"Lamb" markets itself as a horror film, but it is anything but. It can be considered a drama, but to be honest it isn't very dramatic. Yes, there is some drama in it, as well as a few scenes of suspense, but as a whole, when you watch this movie, you're watching a movie about a couple take care of a baby lamb - that's the spoiler-free synopsis. Sure, there is more at play here than just that, but that's basically the gist. And if that sounds entertaining to you, then you'll probably like this movie. If that sounds boring to you, then you'll want to avoid this film like the plague. There are some slight twists and turns that may manage to catch your attention, but most of them will be too little too late, especially for viewers who aren't initially captivated by the hypnotic tone and snail-like pace.

Look, I don't have much to say here. With its bonkers plot, stunning scenery, and excellent acting, I found myself mildly entertained throughout the film. And if you're not excruciatingly bored while watching this movie, then I believe that you will also find something to enjoy. However, if slow burn films aren't your thing, then by no means should you watch this. Does "Lamb" fit into the October, Halloween theme? Not at all, but if you want to watch something extremely different, then give this a go.