The Other Lamb

11^th October 2019 8.40pm at Vue West End
12^th October 2019 1.15pm at Vue West End
13^th October 2019 5.50pm at Vue West End

Deep in the heart of an estranged woodland, far from modern civilisation, lies an all-female religious cult led by the roguish Shepherd (Michiel Huisman). The women, assuming the roles of wife or daughter, fall prey to the Shepherd’s palpable allure, succumbing to his every move – all except Selah (Raffey Cassidy), who, though she is the purest of them all, is headstrong in her way and will stop at nothing until justice has been served. 

The Other Lamb, Polish director Małgorzata Szumowska’s English-language debut, is a dark, powerful and haunting fantasy exploring gender binaries and humanity’s mystical relationship with nature. Lynchian in its storytelling, it combines the surreal with the macabre and mundane to produce an oddity that is both mesmerising and vexing to watch. The movie seeks to compel and confound as well as pay homage to the immeasurable artistic well that is film-making.

Cassidy is commendable as Selah, embodying her innocence and feistiness with the utmost conviction. The film’s anchor, she rightfully stands her ground, setting the narrative’s eerie tone and mood; her character is an emblem of female empowerment as well as a reminder that subservience and toxic masculinity are still grave social issues that need addressing. The Other Lamb is reminiscent of Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth – though both are coming-of-age films, neither of their leads’ transition into adulthood takes place in a conventional sense.

For lovers of arthouse cinema, the feature is a sound example of cinematography with so much aesthetic appeal that it feels transcendental and otherworldly to the naked eye. With IFC Midnight having now acquired its North American rights, The Other Lamb is well on its way to becoming a celebrated global phenomenon.

Ghazaleh Golpira

The Other Lamb does not have a UK release date yet.

Read more reviews and interviews from our London Film Festival 2019 coverage here.

For further information about the festival visit the official BFI website here.