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Lamb
By Alistair Lawrence,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Surreal Icelandic horror has violence, swearing, sex.
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Lamb
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What's the Story?
LAMB follows a married couple of sheep farmers in a remote part of Iceland who take in a human-sheep hybrid child.
Is It Any Good?
A horror movie with animalistic elements that's also a very human drama, this Icelandic tale is unafraid to embrace its bold premise. Lamb tells the story of a human couple who adopts a part-sheep child, and raises it as their own. So far, so unique, with Noomi Rapace giving a performance that ranges from defensive to loving, as her attempt to build a new life with a new family results in various highs and lows. Making Rapace's Maria and her husband, Ingvar -- played with quiet acceptance by Icelandic star Hilmir Snær Guðnason -- a couple still mourning the death of their biological child seems like an extra, unnecessary detail. But the disruption of their quiet, lonely lives by Ingvar's brother, Petur, adds a relatable family dynamic to the unrelenting oddness of Maria and Ingvar's new family dynamic.
While Lamb presents itself as a mood piece and a character study, it will at times test the patience of anyone who likes their movies powered by dialogue and action. This is a sparing, sparse drama with horror elements, and a finale that offers no neat resolution to a bizarre chain of events. It might also cause you to never look in a butcher's shop window quite the same way again.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether they found Lamb scary or not. What's the appeal of scary movies?
Discuss the film's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
How was sex portrayed in the movie? Was it affectionate? Respectful? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.
Talk about the isolated setting. How did it influence the story?
Discuss the movie's ending. How was it different to typical Hollywood movies? What meaning did you take from it?
Movie Details
- In theaters: October 8, 2021
- On DVD or streaming: October 28, 2021
- Cast: Noomi Rapace , Hilmir Snær Guðnason , Björn Hlynur Haraldsson
- Director: Valdimar Jóhannsson
- Studio: A24
- Genre: Horror
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Horses and Farm Animals
- Run time: 106 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: some bloody violent images and sexuality/nudity
- Last updated: June 21, 2023
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