Synopsis:
An epic gothic drama about faith, love, and redemption. It tells the story of three Catholic nuns, the last sisters of the Order of St. Agnes, who live alone and forgotten in a rundown monastery on a remote island. When a young and ambitious priest appears, determined to sell the estate, the three women are caught up in a conflict between passion and their beliefs.
Firstly, as I do with movie reviews, I tried my best not to include any spoilers. I believe I succeeded, so you should be safe.
If you’re ever offered a cup of “Stay at Home” tea from anyone, especially nuns you previously saw covered in blood, run, but watch out for that drop-off. If you think that sounds intriguing, its because it is. Lambs of God is an intense gothic drama that intertwines faith and fairytales. Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Marele Day, the 4 part mini-series is full of twists, turns, and a sophisticated take on good vs evil. With its amazing editing, score, and cinematography, the idyllic setting felt very chilling and unearthly. It’s a story that gets better and more interesting with each episode and thrills as it unfolds. Its characters are just as fascinating as the story, multi-layered, and delightfully complex. Portrayed, is a perversion and corruption of the Catholic Church that manifests itself in unholy acts by some of its highest members. It also tackles trauma, as the majority of the characters are affected by lingering past trauma that they must confront. There’s something familiar about that aspect o the show. Not familiar as in I’ve seen this before, but in the relatable sense. We all harbor some kind of trauma that made us who we currently are and at some point, we have to deal with that reality.
Whether good or bad, you don’t have to let that trauma control you or be your identity. Furthermore, If you’re someone that is afraid that it might be overtly religious, don’t fret. While the majority of the characters are connected to the church, it’s able to get its point across without pushing anything on you. That said, the show has something for everyone, horror lovers, mystery lovers, and even for the romantics. For me, the ominous mystique drew me in and kept me glued to my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed this show and is worth watching in one sitting. I didn’t move until it was over. With its great writing and fantastic acting, it has great rewatchability.
Breakdown & Pace
The story takes in 1999 Britain where there’s a monastery on an island that many believe to be uninhabited and haunted. However, on that island are the sisters of the Order of St. Agnes, a closed order of the Catholic church. A once flourishing sisterhood is now just three nuns that have been removed from mainland society for over twenty years. They are Sister Iphigenia, Sister Margarita, and Sister Carla. They grow all their food, make all their own clothes, and raise a herd of lambs with names of past sisters. There’s a delicate balance to the way they live and its opening scene makes that subtly clear. In that scene, Sister Clara lays in the grass and above her walks a spider on a single web. She neither screams nor moves but lightly blows on it and it goes on its way. That simple interaction says a lot about her character.
After we see the established hierarchy within the sisterhood, a young priest named Ignatius shows up unexpectedly. Having not seen a man in years, the Priest immediately puts the nuns on high alert. Bringing in new world technology and habits, he is a threat to their way of life. Eventually, the three sisters show the Priest their ways and a favorite pastime of theirs. They begin to tell knitting stories and that’s where their faith, fairytale, and reality converge and the story gets increasingly more interesting. Not long after, an accident happens, the Priest is stranded there longer than he planned to be.
While Ignatius is stranded people on the mainland start to worry about his well-being and begin to look for him. While stranded, the real reason he came to the monastery is found out and now all parties feel they are in danger, the Ignatius included. The story then turns into a story of survival, romance, and reincarnation. The show’s pacing is perfect. They balanced the story and craziness in an amazing way. It’s suspense building and story crafting makes this show top-tier.
Characters & Chemistry
The acting in this show is phenomenal, to say the least. It’s hard to say who is the standout since they all did so well. While Essie Davis’s Sister Iphigenia led the way, I feel that Jessica Barden as Sister Carla and Ann Dowd as Sister Margarita stole the show. The range they displayed set them apart from the others. The chemistry between the three of them is what makes the show so great. Their characters are all so vastly different and that’s what makes for such an explosive dynamic. Iphigenia is a strong effortless leader, Margarita is dedicated to her faith, but walks around in fear, and Carla is innocent, curious, and adventurous. Sam Reid as Ignatius also did an amazing job. He goes through such a transformative metamorphosis that only a skilled actor could pull off.
Lambs of God premiers exclusively on Topic, May 7th. Enjoy and stay safe.
About Topic:
Topic is the new streaming service from First Look Media, curated for a curious and engaged audience seeking smart, provocative and meaningful entertainment. Topic features North American premieres and programming from around the world, complemented by a diverse slate of originals including scripted comedies and dramas, talk shows, documentaries, features and more. Topic is available to US and Canadian audiences on topic.com, AppleTV & iOS, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android, and Amazon Prime Video Channels.
Director: Jeffrey Walker
Creator/Writer: Sarah Lambert
Rated: TV-MA
Runtime: 1hr per Episode
Rating: 4.5 out of 5