Written by: Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthymis Filippou
Directed by: Yorgos Lanthimos
Starring: Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, John C. Reilly, Jessica Barden
Rated: R
Plot:
In this dystopian world, single people must find a partner or be turned into beasts and cast into the woods.
Verdict:
This is such an utterly strange and creative film. It tackles companionship and society in such a surreal yet fascinating way. While I think it may turn off many people, it's a very good film that expands the boundaries of what a movie can do. It's worth watching as it may be unlike anything you'll ever see. The concept and execution is just bonkers in a good way.
Watch it.
Review:
I have only read about Lanthimos's other popular movie Dogtooth (2009), but it sounds just as odd and surreal as The Lobster.
The Lobster generates many more questions than it answers, but these question are secondary to the theme of the movie and don't hinder it. This is about companionship, relationships, and how society forces you to find a mate. Our society expects everyone to find a significant other, and in this movie you're forced to find a mate or be turned into an animal. Not only that, you and your mate must share a defining characteristic. You must both have a lisp, limp, or need glasses. Finding a partner isn't a fun exploration, it's a mandatory exercise.
David (Colin Farrell) is newly single and forced to live in a hotel for single people. He has forty five days to find a mate or he'll be turned into an animal of his choosing. If you find a mate you go through a trial period before returning to the city that's just for couples. If you and your partner face any struggles in the partnership, you've provided with a child.
The hotel's program is a strange indoctrination as to why couples are better. Events and skits are created around this idea. If you don't have a mate you'll choke to death, but a partner could give you the Heimlich and save you. If you don't find a mate, your life is ended.
Humans are social creatures. Most people want to find a partner, but in this movie your life depends on it. Despite the desperate situation, everyone is subdued. There is very little emotion showcased in this movie. The dialog is delivered clinically with no inflection. As strange as it is to see and hear, it fits the tone of this movie. This world is devoid of emotion, and why wouldn't it be? Life depends on ascribing to inane rules. All of these things combine to create a strange experience. The music in every scene accentuates this unsettling feeling. Forcing people to partner takes the emotion out of a relationship. It's an intriguing vision of taking a societal constraint to eleven.
The threat of being turned into a creature isn't shown. We don't know if people retain their consciousness or how such a procedure is even performed, but it doesn't matter. The how is briefly discussed and we do see the after of such a procedure, albeit from a distance. It would be difficult to apply science to this, and the movie smartly doesn't try to delve into it.
David manages to escape the hotel and its stringent rules, but finds that the people that have rejected society have just as many rules. No matter what life you lead, you have to follow arbitrary rules. This is a fantastic view of society, where you're constrained no matter what you do. Even free of the hotel, David is still subconsciously constrained by their rules, that or he knows that to renter society he has to find a partner with a shared commonality.
The movie is well crafted, and creates a great atmosphere. Lanthimos poses great questions about society and why such importance is placed on finding a significant other. This is a strange movie, but not so much that it's hard to understand or off-putting. It's a cohesive experience.
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