‘Lamb’: Could horror movies by A24 be getting even weirder?
A24 has been around for less than ten years, but they’ve quickly become one of the most recognizable film production companies in the world. Based out of New York City, A24 manages to produce between eighteen and twenty films every year. The company is best known for its horror and speculative science fiction films like Hereditary & Ex Machina, but they also worked on dramas like 2016’s Moonlight.
Many movies by A24 contain surreal or bizarre elements, but the company’s latest film really raises the bar. Lamb is a supernatural horror by director Valdimar Jóhannsson. A24 just released a trailer for the film, and in two minutes it already has the internet horrified. That has more to do with the movie’s unsettling premise than any true scares laced into the trailer.
Are you curious about what’s got everyone so freaked out? Come with us to take a look at what terrors Lamb is promising its audience.
Adoption
At its core, Lamb is about a childless couple in Iceland deciding to adopt a baby and raise it as their own. Unlike other movies by A24, that sounds pretty heartwarming, doesn’t it? Well, the adoption story comes with a twist: the baby they take in is a half-human, half-sheep hybrid. You read that right. The couple raises sheep, and one day an animal of theirs mysteriously gives birth to a human-shaped baby with a lamb head.
From there, things take a dark turn. The couple faces serious consequences for “defying the will of nature”. They push back on conflict from their friends, family, and the world around them in order to give their adopted baby a loving home. The movie is sure to be equal parts terrifying and tear-jerker.
Making Lamb
Lamb was written by frequent Björk collaborator Sjón and Valdimar Jóhannsson, who also directed the film. They began working on the screenplay in 2018, and by 2019 the movie had been cast and was ready to go into production. The film’s leading couple is played by Noomi Rapace and Hilmir Snaer Gudnason. Rapace is best known for her role as Lisbeth Salander in the Millenium series.
As they’ve done with other movies, A24 acquired North American distribution rights for Lamb. The film premiered earlier this July at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. It played under the Un Certain Regard section and won acclaim for its tense script and top-notch horror.
Of course, unless you were lucky enough to attend the Cannes Film Festival this year, you’ll still have a while to wait before you can see Lamb for yourself. The film is set to premiere in theaters on October 8th, right in time for the spookiest season of the year. This could end up being one of the best horror movies by A24 that anyone’s ever seen.
What the internet thinks
Today A24 released the official trailer for Lamb. This is the first time that anyone outside of Cannes attendees have gotten to take a look at what the film has to offer. The trailer doesn’t reveal much in terms of the film’s plot, but it certainly gives a sense of the atmosphere and builds plenty of tension over the course of just two minutes. Twitter is appropriately terrified already.
— Elizzzzabeth (@thebronzey) July 27, 2021
As far as reactions go, this is pretty much on point.
— Noah Wilson (@noahwilsoncares) July 27, 2021
Some people have no desire to be adopted lamb parents, and we can’t really blame them.
oh this is THEE most a24 shit EVER
— 🌈chavussy🪐 (@mistortewdee) July 27, 2021
Movies by A24 do seem to be getting weirder each time around. The company is getting closer & closer to their final form.
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Do you plan on buying a ticket for lamb, or are you steering clear of the “shear” terror? Let us know in the comments!
