Lamb – An Original Foreign Drama With Serious Chops

A24 is a film production and distribution company that makes great smaller films but also acquires distribution rights to some fantastic foreign films. Their latest film is an entry from Iceland called Lamb. For those who have yet to see its trailer or any promotional material, don’t, as it is best experienced going into as blind as possible. The film is a wild ride, like most A24 films, and while it may not be the greatest film of the year, it is undoubtedly a fascinating one. When held up against other releases, it is certainly a weird one but in the end, it more than proves itself to be a lion of a film amongst Lambs.

Lamb follows the inner working of an everyday sheep farm run by a man named Ingvar (Guonason) and his wife Maria (Rapace) who lives would quickly change following the delivery of their latest lamb which was somehow different than the others and would eventually become a child of sorts for the couple. Meanwhile, Ingvar’s brother Pétur (Haraldsson) does not understand his brother and sister-in-law’s relationship to the lamb for whom they named Ava. Despite his many attempts to try and snap them out of their obsession with Ava, they are adamant that having her as a daughter brings them happiness. While the crazy train has left the station, the film still puts audiences on a roller coaster ride. Though it is abundantly clear where that ride will inevitably end up, one can’t help but not look away if only to experience the full extent of what happens.

At the end of the day, Lamb is a film that is sure to divide most audiences as they will likely find themselves on opposite ends of the spectrum. On one side, the film presents new, inventive and original ideas portrayed on the screen in a incredibly cinematic way with some absolutely stunning cinematography. On the other side, some audiences will definitely feel this film’s near 2 hour running time as it drags out as a result of its relatively slow moving and methodical pacing. By the end, some will feel the film just didn’t pay off in terms of delivering enough of a satisfying and enjoyable experience. Sure, it may be interesting and creepy a little but it’s not as much a crowdpleaser as it is wild and bizarre entertainment. There’s a lot the film is doing well such as its tone and visual effects, but some of its aspects requires an eye for it. Like a fine wine, it may require a trained palette to enjoy how it does a lot with very little. If Nomadland and The Witch got together and had a child, the result would be this film, featuring lots of contemplative silence and mood setting to take audiences to an alternate reality on a farm in Iceland.

Just like many foreign films, this film will not be for everyone. However, its visual-based storytelling and very little Icelandic dialogue equals very little reading. But some audiences, especially cinephiles, will connect to the art and craft on display here. In terms of cinema, Lamb has some serious chops.

still courtesy of a24

(original review)

Follow me on Twitter and check out my site for more.

If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook.

Russell Miller

moviesmillers.blogspot.com/