A24’s folk horror movie starring Noomi Rapace completely reinvents a classic fairytale trope

A24 is responsible for a number of the most haunted and thought-provoking movies of the last decade, no more than 2021. LambWhich acts as a dark inversion of one classic fairy tale trope. Lamb Star Noomi Rapace as an Icelandic livestock farmer who, in the wake of the loss of her own daughter, adopts a strange human/lamb hybrid child with mysterious origins. While it is classified as a folk horror movie, Lamb is not necessarily as scary as it is disturbing. In fact, it resonates more like an ancient fairy tale come to life in the modern day than anything.

Fan theories are many ways LambIt’s shocking ending, but no matter how a viewer interprets it, the story is rife with common fairy tale tropes. The Icelandic setting is almost surreal and dreamlike, and haunting performances from Rapace as María and and Hilmir Snær Guðnason as Ingvar help to escalate the story from a mere cautionary tale into something more eerie. But, at its core, Lamb Takes one popular fairy tale trope and turns it on its head, putting the viewer in an unfamiliar place when it comes to sympathy and perspective.

A24’s Lamb puts a new spin on classic fairy tale tropes

One common theme of folklore is turning upside down

Kidnapping is a common trope in fairy tales, especially when talking about real fairies, as opposed to the more general phrase indicating a story based on fictional characters or settings. Throughout much of European folklore, Supernatural beings like fairies are said to steal children away from their homes And replace them with a being known as a “changing”, which mimics the child but with some differences. These stories originated as a way to explain and describe children with developmental disabilities or neurological deficiencies long before such medical diagnoses were possible.

Perhaps the most famous example of a villainous kidnapper is in the story of Rapunzel, who is stolen away by an evil sorceress for her own benefit. No matter the history and no matter the culture, The common thread is that the kidnapper is seen as the villainAnd the grieving parents are the victims. Lamb Turn the troupe on its head, and give the audience the perspective of the kidnappers.

María and Ingvar are not the biological parents of Ada, the human/sheep hybrid child, and yet they take her to raise in place of their own deceased daughter. It is clear that the egg that gave birth to Ada wants her back, and is eventually killed by Maria to silence her. Ingvar’s final confrontation with the Ram Man, Ada’s biological father, is depicted as a terrifying attack by a monster, when In reality it is simply a father taking back his daughter from her kidnappers. This is a complete reversal of the audience’s typical perspective in fairy tales involving kidnapping.

Why Lamb is worth watching for fans of fairy tales

It is truly a fantasy-forward movie, even if it is classified as folk horror

The very concept of a human/sheep hybrid is certainly fantastic, and immediately takes the film from the plane of reality into the realm of fantasy. Fairy tale enthusiasts will once again appreciate the Icelandic setting, with its rolling post-volcanic hills and windy meadows. The final confrontation between Ingvar and the Ram Man plays out in a graphic manner, but devoid of violence, It’s a narrative resolution very reminiscent of a fairy tale, complete with a role reversal and a lesson implied.. In the case of LambIt is a metaphor about the acceptance of loss and facing grief head-on.

Why Lamb is one of Noomi Rapace’s best movies to date

It is one of the most acclaimed movies in her filmography

While Lamb has developed a cult following in the three years since its release, there is no B-file conjuring unforeseen popularity. Lamb was an official selection of the 2021 Cannes Film Festivaland was Iceland’s entry for the best international film in the Academy Awards that year. The film received wide acclaim from critics, and many singled out Noomi Rapace’s performance as the element that elevated the strange, unexpected story into something that really sticks with the viewer after seeing it.

It is fair to consider Lamb One of, if not the best of Noomi Rapace’s movies, both by the caliber of the film and the caliber of her performance in it. Lamb is one of only five movies in her filmography with a certified fresh rating On Rotten tomatoesAnd represents her second-highest-rated movie since 2014 with an 86% on the Tomatometer. While the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer isn’t the final word on a movie’s quality, it does provide a useful guideline as to whether a movie was well received by critics, and with ratings that high, it’s clear that Lamb is among Rapace’s best movies.

Source: Rotten tomatoes