The Other Lamb

Selah has spent her entire life inside a remote forest commune that prizes obedience and sameness. She moves with a tight circle of cloistered sisters, living as if time itself has slowed, under the watchful gaze of a man they call the Shepherd, a charismatic authority who hides a darker impulse. The community regulates almost every facet of life, from work and sleep to ritual songs and the clothes they wear, insisting that their isolation protects them from a corrupt world. When a string of disturbing dreams and unsettling discoveries begins to echo through the ranks, Selah starts to question not only the rules that govern her days but the myths that sparked her longing for belonging. As the visions sharpen, loyalty once easy to pledge is tested, forcing her to choose between safety and truth, community and herself.

Directed by Małgorzata Szumowska, The Other Lamb arrived in 2020 with a screenplay by Catherine Smyth-McMullen. The project melds stark visuals with restrained performances, turning a compact horror drama into a meditation on faith and control.

Box office figures for this limited release are not widely reported and the film mostly circulated on the festival and arthouse circuit, resulting in a modest commercial footprint. Its reach was primarily among genre fans rather than broad audiences.

Critics offered mixed responses, with praise for the film's sustained mood, chilly visuals, and Raffey Cassidy's restrained performance, while some found the plot elusive. The story probes power and belonging, the lure of spiritual certainty, and the price of personal autonomy under a patriarchal regime. The film invites viewers to look closely at how communities police desire and doubt, and how quiet resistance can become a form of survival.

While not a mainstream hit, the movie has sparked discussion in indie horror and feminist cinema circles about control, faith, and female agency. Its stark imagery and cold atmosphere have earned a quiet following among genre fans and sparked conversations about religious trauma narratives.