Reviewed and Recommended by A. A. Coburn
Everything about Yorgos Lanthimos's pitch-black comedy is peculiar.
The film takes place in a dystopian future in which single people are forced into a hotel where they must find a compatible partner within 45 days or else be turned into an animal of their own choosing. We follow Colin Farrell's recently divorced protagonist and his quest to find a partner; preferably someone who shares his short-sighted vision.
The film revels in its own self-aware bizarreness, exploiting the absurd premise for many priceless moments of deadpan humour. Much of the film's humour derives from Lanthimos and co-writer Efthimis Filippou's dialogue, and the comically blunt way in which the characters speak. It not only makes for good comedy, but also accentuates the disconnection the people of this bleak future have from common emotions, building a world in which this unusual premise is believable.
In Lanthimos's own words, the film is about the apparent pressure given to single people to obtain and maintain a perfect relationship. Whilst this theme runs clearly throughout the film, the story is better enjoyed without excruciating analysis and instead accepted as a piece of absurdism. If you're unwilling to dive headfirst deep into Lanthimos's odd world, then you're unlikely to find much to enjoy.
Either love it or hate it, 'The Lobster' is one of the most unique British films of the last decade and is essential viewing for those with a taste for the peculiar.