Starring Sigurður Sigurjónsson. In Icelandic, with English subtitles. Rating unavailable.

The big-horned headbutters of the title here aren’t just the prized sheep kept in a remote Icelandic valley; they are also the two heavily bearded brothers most competitive about them.

Turns out the seemingly levelheaded Gummi (Sigurður Sigurjónsson) and the more erratic Kiddi (Theodór Júlíusson), who goes on occasional benders, haven’t spoken to each other in 40 years. The reason for this rift is gradually revealed, with viewers getting only the most basic insights required for grasping life in this quietly unforgiving place.

When Kiddi’s top ram wins the annual first prize, it’s understandable that he is suspicious of Gummi’s response to nabbing second place. His brother has taken it upon himself to examine the winner, finding signs of scrapie, a fatal disease of the nervous system that, if confirmed, could result in the slaughter of every sheep in the region. And let’s face it, there’s not much else for shepherds to do in that wintry landscape—especially for late-middle-aged bachelors nursing spectacular grudges.

Generally, the only communication between the siblings—who live next door to each other—comes through notes carried by Kiddi’s wonderful sheepdog. But the messages get more hostile when Gummi pushes his brother to meet the legal requirement to destroy everything related to the potentially sick animals. The ever-upright citizen has his own secrets, though, after hiding his favourite ram and some lucky ewes in his basement.

Will the brothers forgive each others’ weaknesses and discover the bond that connected them as children? Rams writer-director Grímur Hákonarson is too unsentimental to offer such a simplistic finish. Still, the superb film’s ending is so primordial you’ll know it’s about far more than livestock and sibling rivalry.