352. The Other Lamb; movie review

 

 

THE OTHER LAMB

Cert 18

97 mins

BBFC advice: Contains sexual advice, domestic abuse

There surely must be a big hole in the life of anyone who follows a cult leader,

Yet evidence abounds that they have such a vice-like hold that their 'flock' would literally be prepared to die for them.

Malgorzata Szumowska's The Other Lamb looks at cult devotion through the eyes of a teenager, Selah,  (Raffey Cassidy) who was born into life under 'The Shepherd' (Michiel Huisman).

He heads a community which lives in woods which have no modern technology.

He maps out the rules for the group which is divided into mothers and daughters. After their period the latter also become his lovers and then move into the first group after they give birth.

If that sounds bad enough, he lacks any obvious loving emotion - brutally punishing his subjects when they err and forcing them to live in austerity bordering on humiliation.

Almost all of the women merely accept his word but Selah is becoming headstrong and sees a potential ally in Sarah (Denise Gough) who is on the fringes of the group having dissented.

Her doubts grow stronger when The Shepherd clashes with the authorities and insists that the group must go on a trek to find a new home.

This leads to a whole new level of hardship.

I was engaged by looking at growing up in a cut through a child's eyes but I was slightly distracted by the choice of Cassidy in the lead role.

This is because much of the emphasis is around Selah having her first period and Cassidy is very obviously a young woman (she is 19) not a 12-year-old.

The age discrepancy is not the only oddness - The Other Lamb is a strange film, often drifting away into reverie.

It also leaves too many unanswered questions - particularly those surrounding why the women do not dissent even though they know he is a sex abuser.

And that is a pity because at its heart is a subject which deserves greater scrutiny.

Reasons to watch: Eerie and bleak

Reasons to avoid: Too many unanswered questions

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: Yes

Overall rating: 5/10

Did you know? In America, the religious activities of cults are protected under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, which prohibits governmental establishment of religion and protects freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly.

The final word. Writer Catherine S. McMullen: "Like a lot of people I have always been fascinated by cults. I devoured a lot of documentaries and the thing that struck me was that the focus was always the man and there would be the women and children, so it came from me (to ask) about going: 'There's 20 of them and one of him, what are the chains?'" Variety

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