PopHorror Let's Get Scared
For the last year, I’ve enjoyed everything that IFC Midnight has put out. After seeing the trailer for The Other Lamb, I was hooked it instantly. I love cult films and couldn’t wait to check out this one.
This is award-winning Polish director Ma?gorzata Szumowska’s English language debut. The film stars Raffey Cassidy, Michiel Huisman, and Denise Gough.
Synopsis for The Other Lamb
For her entire life, the cult she was born into has been all that teenage Selah (Raffey Cassidy) has known. Along with a band of similarly cloistered young women she lives seemingly unstuck in time, cut off from modern society in a remote forest commune presided over by a man called Shepherd (Michiel Huisman), a controlling, messiah-like figure with a frightening dark side. But when her insular world is rocked by a series of nightmarish visions and disturbing revelations, Selah begins to question everything about her existence—including her allegiance to the increasingly dangerous Shepherd. Awash in images of primal, dreamlike dread, this provocative fable is a haunting vision of adolescent awakening and revolt.
Is this the best cult story I’ve ever watched? Definitely not. It’s your typical cult story about a lunatic cult leader who seems to be all rainbows and sunshine until he isn’t. However, there’s much more to it. What makes this film stand out is the young girl who rises above it all. Who questions her beliefs and everything she’s ever known.
The Other Lamb is a slow burn that takes a while to get going. At first, it’s a lot of walking and more walking. And you’re like what’s the point of this? But believe me, it gets better. The story takes its time grooming Selah into the badass she is destined to be. Red flags begin to pop up. Little by little she sees the true colors of the Shepard and how much he has brainwashed them. Others begin to see it too, but she’s the only one who dares to question him. It’s terrifying how devoted these women are to him despite his unhinged behaviors and methods of torture. It’s even more haunting because we know things like this happen – cults are everywhere.
Raffey Cassidy is a phenomenal actress and the reason you’ll be invested in this story. She delivers an emotionally driven performance that will shake you to your core. Her bravery is contagious and much needed when it comes to facing the Shepard. Huisman plays the perfect bad guy – handsome, charismatic, but rotten to the core. Cassidy and Michiel Huisman’s characters play off each other well. Test one another with just a look. Good vs evil.
The imagery and lightening in this film are exceptional and gives the story a dark, nightmarish atmosphere that feels like a dream sequence. Never knowing what’s real or who to believe. I especially love the scenes centered around the campfire, so many colors and tones reflecting different emotions.
Final Thoughts
The end is EVERYTHING when it comes to The Other Lamb. It’s shocking, brutal, and surprisingly satisfying. Although haunting… it was also eerily peaceful. The Other Lamb is an unsettling slow-burn that delivers big. If you want to check it out for yourself, it will hit select theaters and VOD starting Friday, April 3 from IFC Midnight.
