Throughout the entire month of October, I will be reviewing highly anticipated horror, drama and science fiction films. To start the month off, I will be discussing the new A24 film, “Lamb” directed by Valdimar Jóhannsson. 

The best way to watch “Lamb” is to know little to no plot information beforehand. The only thing I will say plot-wise is that it does feature a half-lamb, half-human (you read that right), and stars Noomi Rapace and Hilmir Snær Guðnason who give phenomenal performances.  

Many viewers have been labeling “Lamb” as a combination of horror and drama, but I tend to lean on the opinion that it is a drama like folklore. It is extremely weird with its central character being an animal-human hybrid, but as the movie went on, it felt more normalized to me by the dialogue and action of other characters.  

Weirdness aside, I think “Lamb” does a great job of embracing silence and letting the scenery speak for itself. This movie features beautiful shots of Iceland that make the audience feel like they are on a journey. 

This movie is not for the average movie watcher. It is slow and there is very little dialogue throughout that can easily turn a regular audience off. I would consider “Lamb” a pure arthouse film that really embraces the art of filmmaking, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea.  

My favorite part of the film had to be the twist/explanation towards the end that even surprised me. This twist has been the gripe of many other reviews, but I did enjoy it a lot and thought it brought more depth to the overall story.  

I did like the ambiguity of the ending that leaves a lot of room for interpretation and imagination.  

When the movie ended, I had to take a moment to truly process what I had watched, and I think many others in the theater had to as well. I felt empathy and anger for the characters which is not what I expected when I originally watched the trailer. 

“Lamb” is not a perfect movie. I would have liked a bit more exploration of some of the background characters, and maybe a bit more dialogue. I also felt at times that certain scenes could have been cut out, but all these little critiques do not mean it is a bad movie at all. 

I think with the mixed reactions and emotions that many have been expressing about this movie, “Lamb” will eventually become a cult classic within the film community that will be explored and analyzed for many years to come. 

Do not expect a roller coaster of action and emotions with “Lamb,” but a slow burn exploring the lives of these unlikely characters. I would recommend this to viewers that can look at film as a true form of art and someone who has a lot of patience. “Lamb” is a movie not for everyone, but I highly recommend it to fans of complex cinema. 

Rating: B