Parents' Guide to

The Other Lamb

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Thin but effective, violent story about all-female cult.

Movie NR 2020 97 minutes
The Other Lamb Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This moody movie about a sinister cult is pretty thin when it comes to characters and situations, but its excellent cinematography brings a kind of power to its stance against predatory behavior. Written by C.S. McMullen and directed by Malgorzata Szumowska, The Other Lamb deliberately tries to retain some semblance of mystery around the cult's origin and operations. But it leaves too much out, and there are too many basic questions that go largely unanswered. In the end, it's just too hard to believe that this cult could have existed for as long as it has.

While Selah does eventually spring to life as a character, she's also a little hard to believe. How would it be for someone to be entirely raised in this environment, without any exposure to the outside world? Her rebellious streak seems a tad unlikely. Huisman is good, with his flowing hair and Jesus-like beard, conveying both calm command and a carefully disguised mean streak, although he seems a bit too young to have been in charge of the cult for well over a decade. All of that said, Szumowska's incredible compositions help bring things to life, from the arcs and claws of dead trees surrounding the figures in their landscape to the handmade webs of string that the women have woven around their camp. These details help The Other Lamb pass muster as a scary cautionary story that's worth checking out.

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate