Review- The Other Lamb (2020)
The Other Lamb comes from Polish director Malgorzata Szumowska from a screenplay by C.S. McMullen and allows the viewer into the world of religious cults. As the story unfolds we meet The Shepherd (played by Michiel Huisman) who leads a self-sufficient community hidden in the woods, free from modern technology. We learn that the majority of the female cult members are either the wife or daughter. One of those daughters, Selah (played by Raffey Cassidy), begins to question The Shepherd’s teachings as the group are forced to seek a new location for their camp after the authorities evict them.
That is basically everything that happens in the movie, only with a lack of dialogue, some strong visual metaphors and some stunning cinematography sprinkled on top. It does explore the exploitation of women and in the case of the cult goes to some disturbing places especially when cult daughters can later become cult wives.
Verdict: 5/10. In a way this movie is a coming of age story for Selah but its slow moving narrative does not have the impact the director hoped for. Instead of meaningful contemplative moments we get repetitive visuals and an urge to hit the fast-forward button.