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
- andrewsage-58714 - 28 February 2024
Minorly-Disturbing Drama
I am a big fan of A24, as are a lot of other people who are going to see and have seen this movie, I'm sure.
But whatever I saw was an absolute bore that tried to convey deep emotional feeling and thought, while simultaneously looking to be artistic.
Lamb is an odd film, and I will say that it does a great job with the cinematography and acting, but other than that there is not much to say about it.
With a runtime of about an hour and forty-five minutes, Lamb tells the story of a couple who take care of sheep for a living. Eventually one of the farm animals gives birth to a half-human, half-lamb hybrid, and the couple takes care of it as if it is their own child.
As I watched this movie, I felt it could be cut in half. It is a very, VERY, slow burn, and not a lot of it is entertaining. I must say, I've never seen so many shots of ewes in my life, and after a bit, the shots of the animals get pretty old pretty quick. Although yes, it's an entertaining idea, but had they gone about it in a different way, I'm positive I would have loved the movie more.
But it truly is so snail-paced that I started to wonder when it would end, constantly checking how much time that was left in the movie. And when I got to the end, all of it seemed like an utter disappointment. All of that for some minor, "thought provoking," bitter finish. In the climax, I just felt annoyed that I had watched it, and wished I hadn't.
To conclude, it is my opinion, and if others enjoy this movie, then good on them. But if you expect a horror movie, lower those expectations. There is no horror. I'd classify it as a minorly-disturbing drama. There are much better movies to watch. But this may very well be one of my least favorite A24 movies, and I don't believe I will ever watch it again. - daylynnbaker - 5 November 2023
Surprisingly memorizing.
I watched it with subtitles. I found it added to the mystery, confusion, and awkwardness. The actors and scenery made this movie a 7. Story line could have used a little more work, but it was a solid film. I found myself happy for them, but it is a thriller, so you know something it coming. The ending isn't what I would have choose, I'm more of a John Wick ending kinda girl. I recommend watching unrestricted and the realization it is a foreign film and not an American typical horror movie. If you enjoy the tempo of a lot of BBC crime dramas, you will enjoy this movie. If You cannnot sit and just enjoy a movie, find a shorter movie. I really enjoyed this film. - miless-49621 - 8 January 2023
Bizarre and Interesting Stuff, But Too Much Filler As Well.
There is a certain amount of icelandic bleakness that is to be expected in any film made there. At the same time, there is just so much empty and uneventful space in this film. I enjoyed many parts of it, but it gave us too little plot fiber to bond with the child and too much filler.
I am 100% interested in slow, large, open empty shots so long as there is a purpose to them. So long as an ant walks across the screen in the corner, there maybe was enough of a purpose, a contextual necessity, or an allegory. In this film, too many shots are simply empty and still. Yes, it's fine to have a film that is quiet and slow, but in this case it felt that they were a substitute for the main dish instead of an accent to it.
Regardless, i think this is worth a watch. It just feels rather empty and pointless, and perhaps that's supposed to be a lesson re: humans needing to leave animals alone and to stop projecting meaning onto our interactions with them unless we are genuinely helping them.
I have to take 2 stars off just because i think there is perhaps an entire character, and/or major event, and/or setting missing from the film. The ending was well executed and surprising in concept, but the extremely lengthy segment of the protagonist running out into the field and then subsequently staring at the camera for like 10-15 minutes straight was very questionable, and i would personally make a fan edit that removes this scene. I have to wonder what could have been done with just this specific amount of time, much less many others earlier in the story. - arthur_tafero - 24 October 2022
Soap With Ice - Dyrio
If you are a big fan of soaps, you can a star to this film. It is a slice of life in an unusual setting; Iceland. This actually helps the plot of the film along, as Iceland is both a beautiful and lonely place at the same time. It is quite easy to understand how a relationship, if not nourished constantly, can quickly turn into a dispassionate, cold, and mundane association. The introduction of a third party is sometimes a positive thing for relationships, as an unbiased person can shed new light on what both people are having issues with. The film moves slowly at times, but then again, the pace of life in Iceland is not exactly that of Queens, New York. - Phantasiii - 9 August 2022
Well made but not very good.
There's not much story or that much underlying theme. It's not as deep as some might say. It's well shot, well produced, well acted. But the pacing would've worked better if there was more story. It's so damn thin when it could have built a much better narrative. I'd think if Ari Astor had a chance to make this film it would've had more impact, more... well anything.
