There is certainly no shortage of horror films these days, so a smart slow burn like this absurd drama stands out. There's nothing like the unforgiving winter Icelandic landscape to ratchet up the tension.
Noomi Rapace, the original girl with the dragon tattoo, is perfectly cast as the taciturn farming wife who embraces a ewe's newborn that turns out to be part-human and part-sheep. Maria and her husband Ingvar (Hilmir Snaer Gudnason) not only embrace the baby but take it into their home and nurture it, neither one of them batting an eye at the absurdity of the miracle birth.
The couple take everything in stride, to the consternation of Ingvar's visiting brother Petur (Bjorn Hlynur Haraldsson) and to the maternal vitriol of the mama who birthed the little freak with a human body and an ovine head, and with one hand and one hoof. Maria will be the one to take care of that battle of the moms, and she'll also have to convince Petur not to overreact to the situation.
Writer-director Valdimar Johannsson (working with novelist/poet/songwriter Sjon) embeds this production with a simmering foreboding, peppering the narrative with hints of backstory. Apparently Maria and Petur have a bit of history, though it's not clear if Ingvar knows about that. And Johannsson drops two pretty clear hints about why the couple are childless and despondent.
Johannsson times this all with Swiss precision, pretty much turning a new chapter every 20 minutes (that's how long it takes for the birth scene to occur). He ratchets up the horror incrementally and without resort to the common tropes of creaking doors or sudden shocks. He knows that the viewer will understand that the premise itself is untenable and simply cannot end in a pleasant manner.
Despite the preposterous premise played for deadpan amusement, this troupe somehow wins us over into caring about the survival of this improbable family unit. And while the narrative device of the grieving young couple deserves a soft ban, "Lamb" is smart and visually compelling enough to rise above B-movie material.
Only a swerve into the realm of fantasy during a startling deus ex machina ending detracts from what otherwise is an impressively assured filmmaking debut. Rapace and her co-stars go all-in to ensure that this story can be told with a straight face. And, when you think about it, just about any ending would be at least somewhat unsatisfying. Custody battles -- even those not involving a girl with a sheep's head -- usually are quite messy.
GRADE for "LAMB": A-minus
* - Holy Crap is an occasional series about unique films, cutting a wide swath from brilliant to awful. Check out previous entries here.
BONUS TRACK
The perfect trailer:
And our title track, from the Easybeats:
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