A trailer has been released online for the upcoming A24 thriller Lamb, which sounds like it's going to be deeply strange. You can see the trailer in the embed above, but it doesn't show much and will leave you knowing absolutely nothing about the film's story. But you get to see Noomi Rapace surrounded by nature and weirdness.
The feature debut of Icelandic filmmaker Valdimar Jóhannsson, Lamb has the following synopsis:
A childless couple in rural Iceland make an alarming discovery one day in their sheep barn. They soon face the consequences of defying the will of nature, in this dark and atmospheric folktale.
Rapace, a native of Sweden who speaks fluent Icelandic (as well as Danish, Norwegian, English, and of course Swedish), is joined in the cast by Icelandic actors Hilmir Snaer Gudnason and Björn Hlynur Haraldsson.
A24 has not yet set a release date for Lamb, but we do know that the release will happen sometime later this year. In the meantime, the film is set to have its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday, July 13th. It's in the Un Certain Regard section of this year's Cannes section, meaning it's one of the films with "unusual styles and non-traditional stories, seeking international recognition".
Another synopsis reveals just how unusual Lamb is. The story centers on
a childless couple, María (Rapace) and Ingvar (Gudnason), who are sheep farmers in Iceland. On Christmas Eve they find a newborn who is half human, half sheep.
So this definitely sounds like a good match for the Un Certain Regard section.
Jóhannsson had this to say about the A24 distribution deal:
A24 is a company I have been following for years, and I am very proud to be a part of their unique community of filmmakers."
As soon as a release date is announced, we'll let you know.