Born into an all-female religious cult, teenage Selah
(Raffey Cassidy) begins to question the teachings of the male leader, simply
know as Shepherd (Michiel Huisman). Selah is also getting more curious about
the outside world. Of course, the cult is tucked away in the woods, so there is
no real means of escape. However, the police show up one day and tell Shepherd
that he and his followers have to vacate the land. As they travel to find
another place to live, Shepherd becomes increasingly more irritated with Selah
and her defiance.
Polish director Malgorzata Szumowska's tense drama—complete
with horror overtones—is extremely well made, but there is very little story,
the pacing is incredibly slow, and the visual symbolism is very heavy-handed.
With that said, The Other Lamb has gorgeous cinematography by Michal
Englert, and effective sound design by Ben Baird. Just listen to the wind in
the trees.
There are also great performances by a game cast. Cassidy's
intensity plays off of Huisman's cold and calculated demeanor perfectly. It's
all building to something, but it is that damn slow pacing that keeps the movie
from being totally effective.
