William McCurdy

I’m normally a very open minded and forgiving movie goer/critic. I meter my expectations by what I’m seeing. I had high hopes for this film given its excellent lead actors and interesting trailer, but I left the theater feeling confused and disappointed. The first half of the film consisting of the Djinn’s stories was immersive and enjoyable. I was excited to see how it would develop. The premise that -the Djinn’s stories build up to a mutual love and hint at Alithea as a sort of “reincarnation” of Djinn’s former failed loves- is a very interesting one and potentially powerful emotionally. The power of the story however is completely lost by the oddly abrupt transition from Djinn’s beautiful stories into Alithea’s “I wish you would love me”. It’s also worth acknowledging that there was exactly zero chemistry between Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba in this film. I absolutely adore Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba, and I think they are endlessly talented, but they weren’t the correct castings for these role… or at least the story wasn’t set up in a way to make it believable. It’s a shame that a story so unique and beautiful was told in such an unfortunate way. This isn’t a story that could be just casually recreated better. I hate to say it, but honestly, just save the two hours and couple of bucks.

“Fantasy/Horror” is a stretch. Hardly a fantasy other than the very unique premise of the film. Difficult to call it a horror as well with only two or three mildly scary scenes - although personally I found the ending legitimately terrifying. Most of any “horror” comes from the angst surrounding confusion and unanswered questions and the thrill of unfulfilled anticipation. It’s more of a suspenseful psychological thriller than anything. The style of the film is classically Icelandic in that the cinematography is beautiful, but many of the scenes are brief and silent. Although that does offer the actors an opportunity to showcase their true talent - which is outstanding in this cast. Spoiler-free overview: A husband and wife couple own a sheep farm set amongst the mountains. They assist in the birth of a very special lamb. Taking this lamb into their home to nurse it back to health, they end up raising it, essentially as part of the family. A visit from a mildly estranged brother, and his reaction to this interesting family arrangement, assure the viewers that they are in fact not crazy. A series of odd and suspenseful events throughout the film culminate in a properly terrifying finale with a heavy dose of retribution. Undertones of religion and cultural folk-lore add to the depth of the film - if you have the wherewithal to consider them at the end. The premise of the film is very unique and makes it worth watching, as long as you’re not anticipating horror or fantasy. If you’re into foreign flicks, subtitles, and indie films, it’ll probably be a win for you. Enjoy the film, just know what you’re walking into.