News

‘Lambs of God’ is a Twisting, Turning Gothic Fairy Tale

Published

4 years ago

June 1, 2020

Lambs of God is one of those series that isn’t easy to define. It blends genres so seamlessly that it feels fresh and new by the time the credits roll on the final episode, though the elements used to create the series are all tried and true.

Based on the novel by Marele Day, the series centers on the lives of three nuns living a life of seclusion in a forgotten abbey dedicated to St. Agnes on a remote island. These are no ordinary nuns, however.

For starters, they believe their flock of sheep is made up of the reincarnated souls of the nuns of their order who have died. While they spend their days in prayer and knitting and creating various herbal medications and dyes, the stories they tell around their tables are twisted version of fairy tales many of which relate more closely to the source material of those tales than the versions most of us heard as children.

These three generations of women each have their own role to play, but none of them are prepared when a young priest stumbles into their sequestered lives. When they realize the priest is there with the intent of assessing the abbey to be sold and converted into a luxury hotel, they take the man prisoner and their lives quickly spin out of control.

Directed by Jeffrey Walker (Riot) with scripts written by Sarah Lambert and Day, Lambs of God grips its audience from the very first moments not only because the series is well-written and directed, but because their four leads are absolutely spectacular.

Emmy-winner Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale, Hereditary) is remarkable as Sister Margarita, the oldest of the three nuns. She quickly turns from harsh violence to abject humility and vulnerability without ever falling to caricature. We believe her belief without question, even as we glimpse the events in her past that led her to the abbey.

Likewise Essie Davis (The Babadook) is stunning as Sister Iphegenia. She is without a doubt the leader of their unlikely convent, which she manages with patience and a stern hand when needed. Davis’s performance is raw and hypnotic. She is a woman on a ledge with almost-expert balance.

Jessica Barden (Hanna) rounds out the trio of nuns. Sister Carla is the youngest, and she breathes life and a starry-eyed innocence into the character who, at 24 years old, has managed to hold onto the freshness of youth while locked away from the outside world.

Rounding out the central cast, Sam Reid (Anonymous) takes on the role of Ignatius, the interloper priest, and like his co-stars, the actor brings honesty to his role that makes Ignatius’s journey believable and at times, heart-wrenching.

It’s almost a cliche to refer to the setting of a film as a character all its own, and yet it is undeniable here. The convent of St. Agnes is dramatic with richly textured walls and statuary. There are moments when the very building seems to breathe and to actively take part in the conspiracy to hide the lives of its nuns away from the world.

Sadly, most of the supporting cast isn’t given as much development. With the exception of Kate Mulvany in the role of Ignatius’s sister, Frankie, most are given little to do, and there were moments when I expected the Priests aka The Villains to twirl their non-existent pencil line mustaches.

As I said from the start, Lambs of God is difficult to pin down. It is part psychological thriller, part dark fairy tale, and part family drama. Yet, somehow, those things never seem to get in the way of or detract from the other.

The writers wisely left the supernatural elements of the story up to the viewer to interpret while still using them to advance the story with a light layering of mysticism. Though they are Catholic nuns dedicated to the Convent of St. Agnes their roles and lives become archetypes much larger than the faith of the Church.

Lambs of God is currently available to stream on Topic, a streaming platform with a variety of interesting programming options. Check out the trailer for the series below!

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Jake Gyllenhaal’s Thriller ‘Presumed Innocent’ Series Gets Early Release Date

Published

1 hour ago

April 26, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Jake Gyllenhaal’s limited series Presumed Innocent is dropping on AppleTV+ on June 12 instead of June 14 as originally planned. The star, whose Road House reboot has brought mixed reviews on Amazon Prime, is embracing the small screen for the first time since his appearance on Homicide: Life on the Street in 1994.

Jake Gyllenhaal’s in ‘Presumed Innocent’

Presumed Innocent is being produced by David E. Kelley, J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot, and Warner Bros. It is an adaptation of Scott Turow’s 1990 film in which Harrison Ford plays a lawyer doing double duty as an investigator looking for the murderer of his colleague.

These types of sexy thrillers were popular in the ’90s and usually contained twist endings. Here’s the trailer for the original:

According to Deadline, Presumed Innocent doesn’t stray far from the source material: “…the Presumed Innocent series will explore obsession, sex, politics and the power and limits of love as the accused fights to hold his family and marriage together.”

Up next for Gyllenhaal is the Guy Ritchie action movie titled In the Grey scheduled for release in January 2025.

Presumed Innocent is an eight-episode limited series set to stream on AppleTV+ starting June 12.

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Movies

Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed

Published

20 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.

Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.

The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.

Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”

Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.

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News

Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween

Published

22 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.

The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.

“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.

Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.

The prize also includes:

An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings

A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear

A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room

A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course

The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II

Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two

“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”

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Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.