The Other Lamb

This is the story of a christianesqe cult of all women and their one master living out in the woods. For the life of me I don't see why this is touted as a horror movie, marketing gambit? It is these women's pleasure to serve their shepherd hand and foot...and booty. It's the very slow, long, drawn out story of one of his daughters finally opening her eyes to his real "ideology" and his real treatment of these women. Plus, it didn't hurt that his own arrogance finally got the better of him. As slow as this is, and as NOT a horror story as this is, I was somehow held by the story. I found myself drawn - maybe by the lush cinematography.

I saw this film at TIFF 2019. I didn't know what to expect going in, having never seen any of Malgorzata Szumowska's films. While I can understand that this film won't be everyone's cup of tea, I was mesmerized by the stunning visuals, the dreamlike atmosphere, and the slow-burn storytelling, all of which culminate in a violent but ultimately satisfying climax. Raffey Cassidy is excellent as the female lead, and Michiel Huisman, who I'm usually lukewarm on, does a surprisingly good job at playing a villain you love to hate. Over time, I can see The Other Lamb becoming a cult classic of sorts. And the film's final shot is one for the ages!

Beyond the synopsis there really isn't anything else to this movie. What you read is what you get, that's the entire plot, there's no real spoilers or even anything to spoil at all. This is a movie that is a good 80% exposition without dialogue or plot development, you're just watching them move around or stare off into space. It also bounces around a little bit at times just to keep you guessing if something is actually happening or imagined...but it doesn't really matter because nothing is ever actually explained because there's no narrative or plot.

It's not a good movie, the acting is hard to judge because you don't really know what they're aiming for, and honestly it just doesn't make much sense overall since nothing is explained. The cinematography is fantastic, the cast looks great, but there's no real acting or story to see here. I just felt it seemed very pointless by the end.

Not sure about the comparisons to Midsommar, The VVitch, The Village and certainly not The Wicker Man. There's far less going on (literally) in this than in any of them. I didn't hate it, but I was certainly bored, and empathised more with the bemused policemen than anyone else. Nice sheep though.

Despite its spellbinding cinematography, thoughtful imagery, and captivating performances from Raffey Cassidy and Michiel Huisman, 'The Other Lamb' strays pretty far from being an engaging presentation due to the lacks of tension and stakes needed on its story to make this film as fascinating as it had the potential to be.