"Lamb" Is Wiiiiiiiiiiiild, And I Love It

    It's got all the hallmarks of an A24 horror movie: creepy atmosphere, great acting, dark humor, and, of course, a cool/weird concept.

    Crystal Ro
    by Crystal Ro

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Hello, movie fans! In case you haven't heard of it, A24's latest film is a movie called Lamb, and it is...WIIIIIIILD.

    Noomi Rapace, Hilmir Snaer Gudnason on the poster for the film
    A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection

    Now, if you're an A24 stan (come on, don't lie, you clicked on this after all!), then I can tell you now that you're going to love the heck out of this movie. It's got all the hallmarks of an A24 horror/horror-adjacent release — creepy atmosphere, great acting, some dark humor, and, of course, a cool/weird concept.

    A group of sheep in an old barn at night
    A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection

    There's also a lot of exploration of motherhood, grief, and infidelity — although, I admit, it's a little vague what the film is trying to say about these topics. Having said that, I was still very much along for the ride.

    But before we get going, this is your fair warning that there are some spoilers ahead. Although, if you've seen the trailer, then you probably already know most of it.

    So, Lamb follows the story of a couple — Maria and Ingvar (who, btw, happen to be shepherds...very allegoric!) — living in rural Iceland. They are played by the EXCELLENT Noomi Rapace and Hilmir Snær Guðnason. Maria and Ingvar live a very chill, routine life — tending to their sheep, plowing their land, and drinking lots of coffee. All is calm, all is bright (seriously, because they live in Iceland, it's almost NEVER dark...the sun is literally still up when they go to bed).

    Maria and Ingvar in the kitchen doing chores
    A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection

    Now, without going into ~super~ spoiler territory, I can tell you that Maria and Ingvar are blessed/cursed one day when one of their sheep gives birth to a lamb that's actually half human (or maybe half demon?!).

    A man holding the hand of a half sheep half child as they walk through a field
    A24

    And you can probably guess, but some crazy shit goes down from there on out.

    A24

    Surprisingly, though, there are also a lot of REALLY sweet and cute moments, too! Like, who knew I'd find a half-human, half-sheep creature so lovable?! IT'S SO DAMN CUTE????

    The lamb child wearing a flower crown
    A24

    You should also know that the movie is GORGEOUS — like, I've heard Iceland is beautiful, but this movie makes me want to straight-up move there (minus all the weird stuff).

    A man herding his sheep through a field with giant snow capped mountains in the distance
    A24

    Also...the animals are all REALLY good actors? Like, the Icelandic border collie in the film (whose IRL name is PANDA!!!) literally won an award at Cannes*!

    A border collie sitting on a stoop looking confused
    A24

    *Although, sadly, this was a posthumous award, as Panda died in March earlier this year. Her owner and breeder accepted her award in her place.

    For real though, I was very impressed with ALL the animals in the movie — the sheep, the horses, the dog, THE CAT!!! Give them all awards.

    A cat looking pensive
    A24

    And the movie does a GREAT job of having a SUPER eerie atmosphere. I was uncomfortable and creeped out from the opening scene.

    A herd of sheep inside a barn looking out into the dark of night
    A24

    But don't worry, if you're not into ~scary~ movies, this movie isn't that. Creepy and weird? Yes. Scary? No.

    Maria and Ingvar standing in the fog looking confused
    A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection

    Lamb won't be for everyone, but if you're into dark, atmospheric movies that look beautiful, have a weird story, and...cute things, then 10/10 would recommend checking this one out!

    Maria looking upset
    A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection

    Lamb opens only in theaters on Oct. 8, 2021! Check out the trailer here:

    View this video on YouTube
    youtube.com

    Looking for more unique things to watch? Check out some of my other recent release recommendations:

    Blue Bayou

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