splicing the dark heart of a folk-horror movie into the fluffy body of a rural Icelandic relationship drama yields unexpectedly fertile and darkly comic effects in Valdimir Johannsson's creepy-funny-weird-sad "Lamb"
Johannsson's tense, high-concept drama is far too predictable; The film then goes back on its journey towards unavoidable pain and sorrow, and the whole uncle episode feels like an addition in the middle of what might have worked better as a short film
Johannsson's first feature is derivative in parts but impressive once its big twist comes together; the contrast between genuine depth and the silliness of the underlying concept is exactly what gives the movie such unique, if simplistic, appeal
an intelligent and fiercly entertaining film taking in sci-fi, horror and fairy tales and the fluidity of identity and how we are built by the life that is made around us
a delicate balance between supernatural thriller and absurdist comedy; the majority of the picture is strong enough to satisfy audiences with a taste for folk horror oddities, even if the ending isn't quite as punchy as one might have anticipated
"Lamb" is a disturbing experience but also a highly original take on the anxieties of being a parent, a tale in which nature plus nurture yields a nightmare
