An Icelandic couple live with their herd of sheep on a beautiful but remote farm. When they discover a mysterious newborn on their land, they decide to keep it and raise it as their own. This unexpected development and the prospects of a new family brings them much joy before ultimately destroying them.
- Released: 2021-08-12
- Runtime: 106 minutes
- Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery
- Stars: Noomi Rapace, Hilmir Snær Guðnason, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, Ingvar Sigurdsson, Ester Bibi, Sigurður Elvar Viðarson, Theodór Ingi Ólafsson, Arnþruður Dögg Sigurðardóttir, Gunnar Þor Karlsson, Lára Björk Hall
- Director: Valdimar Jóhannsson
Comments
- lesley_65 - 2 May 2024
Intriguingly Bizarre
Set on a remote Icelandic sheep farm this story of a young couple begins simply but quickly takes an unexpected and bizarre turn.
More thriller than horror, it has a mysterious feeling of dread and doom throughout, but there is very little violence. The supernatural elements are intriguing, sometimes appearing serious, sometimes humorous, and occasionally hilarious. What to make of it? The actors offer no clue because they all play it brilliantly straight. And what is it trying to convey? Perhaps it has all been left open to interpretation.
Having scant knowledge of supernatural symbols I looked for a more relatable message and the movie certainly works on this level. I saw it as a warning about the dangers of playing with nature and of being too obsessive about parenthood, but I was interested to read so many other believable theories in the reviews here.
If you keep an open mind this thought provoking movie is well worth watching ... and pondering. - Clintborari - 6 December 2023
"Wow... you look beautiful"
One-word film titles have been more of the direction toward the simplicity that debut filmmakers like to produce nowadays. Similar to 'PIG,' this film is steeped in striking landscape views to give the observer a true feel of tranquillity and ambiance that adorn the isolated Icelandic countryside.
Lamb is an unusual film but hits you emotionally on so many levels and on so many themes, including parenthood, moving on, compassion, love, want, need, loss and happiness.
The more I consider the film, the less I want to give away. It isn't traditionally a horror film, it's a little of a folk tale that tells of a couple's journey in moving on and finding their happiness, and Lamb strikes me as a film that has many lessons to share and deserves to be viewed for the importance it imparts about human psychology, despite the director portraying these themes in a very artistic and unusual way.
I found myself deeply attached to Ada, the half-lamb, half-human hybrid to the point where I watched intently, caring immensely for her well-being. The couple Maria and Ingvar's backstory about the previous daughter was moving, but there was something about a child's innocence and acceptance that resonated with me profoundly.
The way Maria (Noomi Rapace) felt resentment from Ada's birth mother and eventually performs a horrific act, which seemingly portrays a mother's killer instinct. However, by committing such a sinful act, karma does catch up on her by the ending with an unsightly appearance from what seems to be a "Ram man" who extracts his vengeance in the same way as Maria.
While there are things not coherently explained, such as Mr. Ram Man's origins or even his sudden appearance at the later stages of the film, there is quite a bit to take from interpretation. At the beginning, it seems plausible, and the viewer is left to think that the husband Ingvar (Hilmir Snær Guðnason) may have had some relations with a sheep, which causes the unnatural birth of Ada.
Björn Hlynur Haraldsson as Pétur was an interesting character, as he seemed troubled, a drunkard, and someone who had a hard, rough, and arduous life. His unlikability comes from the fact he is trying to court his brother Ingvar's wife Maria, who thankfully rejects his advances. He becomes more appealing the way he starts to bond with Ada after initially wanting to end her life like she was nothing more than a burden or a lame animal.
Overall, Lamb is strangely spellbinding and equally mesmerizing, keeping you invested in a very worthy payoff. Some dialogue from Ingvar to Ada leaves this open for a surprising sequel. And to be honest, I would have no hesitation in rushing out to see it.
Moreover, this film did exactly what it is meant to do: make you think truly and hard long after the credits have finished rolling. Lamb is neither a positive ending nor a gut-wrenching one, the later highlighting specifically to "Speak No Evil."
Vladimir Jóhannsson's view will resonate with some who feel they can open their minds to a more artistic view of the world and push the limits of their minds to broaden their scope of reality.
This film was one of the hardest to give a rating. After juggling possibly, a seven or eight, the film just struck me as a marvellously unique film that affected me in different ways. Therefore, after much deep insight, I decided this film is worthy of a nine-star rating. It is too good to pass up a simple film with abstract views. Lamb makes you care, think, and question many things and, therefore, leaves you with a warm and enriching experience.
9/10.
