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‘Lambs of God’ is a Twisting, Turning Gothic Fairy Tale
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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Movies
‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt
Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.
In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.
This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.
Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.
“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”
The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”
The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.
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Movies
‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time
It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?
It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.
Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.
Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.
The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.
It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.
The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.
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Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween
Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.
The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.
This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.
This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.
“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”
But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.
This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.
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