Movie Review

Film Review: LAMB (2021): Interesting Story and Solid Performances Drive Disturbing New Drama

Hilmir Snaer Guonason Noomi Rapace Lamb

Lamb Review

Lamb (2021) Film Review, a movie directed by Valdimar Johannsson and starring Noomi Rapace, Hilmir Snaer Guonason, Bjorn Hlynur Haraldsson, Ingvar Sigurdsson and Ester Bibi.

Lamb is a terrifically enthralling new Icelandic picture. I went in expecting a horror film and was surprised by the fact that the film was so enjoyable on a human level. Although there are some horrific elements in it, the overall premise of the movie is about a couple that learns to enjoy their lives better as a result of a young new addition to their household. The movie has many surprises in the plot although some are being unveiled already by the reviews and marketing campaign for the film. Director Valdimar Johannsson has fashioned a compelling and chilling family drama with some rather fascinating ideas sprinkled throughout.

Advertisement
 

As the film begins to reveal its big secret (which I will not give away), the audience automatically gets a little queasy thinking of the reasoning behind why the secret is what it is. We don’t know why something has happened and we also don’t know why the two central characters of the film are going along with the situation at hand. The two stars of the film are Noomi Rapace and Hilmir Snaer Guonason as a couple who are tending to farming needs and have many lambs at hand on their premises. The movie begins so delicately that there’s hardly any dialogue and the movie sets up the forthcoming scenes with many well mounted establishing shots. Noomi Rapace’s Maria and Hilmir Snaer Guonason’s Ingvar seem a bit saddened these days. But, something (or someone, I won’t say) soon brightens up their lives and leaves the audience wondering why, of all things, is this the something that is making them happy. We wonder why this entity even exists.

Enter Ingvar’s brother Petur (Bjorn Hlynur Haraldsson) who soon appears and he’s the typical brother with financial difficulties that comes to live with Ingvar and Maria. Petur seems a little less amused at what is making them happy and initially seems ready to end their happiness through violence. But, Petur soon warms to the entity which makes the couple happy and they all become a very tranquil family. For a little while.

However, there are some things which make us question what is truly going on in the plot. One example is when Maria kills a sheep with a shotgun without an obvious definitive reason. We suspect the reason could have something to do with a disgusting thought the movie initiates early on but the movie has more than a few tricks up its sleeve. Also interesting is a dream sequence where some lambs are displayed as quite evil looking hinting that maybe the movie is going to do something with the lambs that it never indeed does.

I know all this sounds incredibly vague and if it were a simple movie with an easily accessible premise, I’d reveal more plot details. However, the joy in this film is watching the premise unfold and seeing where director Johannsson takes us. The movie is definitely not a horror movie for its entire running time although towards the end, there are some sequences which do get very intense as some of the questions we have regarding the movie’s story line are answered. Not every question the movie raises is given a satisfying answer but it’s easy to get the gist of what’s going on. It’s almost like a twisted, very unique “The Twilight Zone” in terms of the way the movie reveals its conclusion. But, to compare it to that show would lessen the dramatic impact the key revelations towards the film’s ending make on the viewer.

The performances are all smooth and well crafted by the actors at hand. Noomi Rapace shines in the best acting the film offers. Her Maria is looking for happiness but has a very nervous side to her especially when she tries to protect the entity that is making her so at peace in her life. Rapace captures her nuances and makes the character very relatable to the audience. Haraldsson’s Petur is a well-written character who adds some curiosity factor to the premise especially considering he seems to want more with Maria than he is able to have. Guonason also delivers a well thought-out performance as Ingvar and adds many layers to the character he portrays.

Lamb is a truly original movie. There are so many great moments in the film that captivate the viewer throughout. If not for the film’s slightly ambiguous and not entirely satisfying conclusion, it would have been one of the year’s best films. As it is, it is a powerful portrait of a family trying to find some peace in a chaotic world. The fact that their own personal world is so small and there is as much horror in it as they ultimately discover proves how multi faceted the road to happiness can be. There are no easy answers to a satisfying life and this film teaches us that through the arrival of an unusual entity which changes these characters forever. It’s a thought-provoking picture to be sure.

Rating: 8/10

Leave your thoughts on this Lamb review and the film below in the comments section. Readers seeking to support this type of content can visit our Patreon Page and become one of FilmBook’s patrons. Readers seeking more film reviews can visit our Movie Review Page, our Movie Review Twitter Page, and our Movie Review Facebook Page. Want up-to-the-minute notifications? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Flipboard.

FilmBook's Newsletter

Subscribe to FilmBook’s Daily Newsletter for the latest news!

Thank you for subscribing.

Something went wrong.

Thomas Duffy

Thomas Duffy is a graduate of the Pace University New York City campus and has been an avid movie fan all of his life. In college, he interviewed film stars such as Minnie Driver and Richard Dreyfuss as well as directors such as Tom DiCillo and Mark Waters. He is the author of nine works of fiction available on Amazon. He's been reviewing movies since his childhood and posts his opinions on social media. You can follow him on Twitter. His user handle is @auctionguy28.
Back to top button
Share via
Send this to a friend