'The Lobster' (2015)

This is one of the movies that'll leave you questioning if you consumed illicit drugs before you reach the 20 minute mark. Yorgos Lanthimos is a true visionary, but this is the first film of his I've seen. Taking place in the not-too-distant future, the story follows David, a recently married man looking for love after his wife was usurped by another man. This movie takes many twists and turns, yet somehow stays the same. It's repetitive nature, can get annoying, but it hammers home the dystopian milieu.

The theme of this movie to me is assimilation. Society expects every adult to be in a romantic relationship or they will be 'reformed.' David (Colin Farrell) finds himself sent off to a hotel with other singles to find a mate within 45 days or they will be turned into....an animal. The silver lining is the singles get to choose their animal. David chooses a lobster because they live to be 100 years old and "bleed blue like aristocrats."

What we come to find out is that every person in this hotel and in society in general must have some defining characteristic. For some it's chronic bloody noses, others a limp, and some a lisp. So by each individual having an irregularity, they are in fact conforming.

The singles are given the chance to extend their stay at the hotel, however by being sent off to capture the 'loners' or simply the single people living in the woods. So in this sense, the loners are treated like creatures, as they aren't allowed to integrate into regular society.

There is a dog with David and we come to find that the dog accompanying him in the hotel is in fact his own brother, when his brother's attempt to find love went awry. This comes into play when we think David has finally found love. Only to find his lover is completely emotionless. Her character is simply named, 'Heartless Woman.' She kills the dog and David is so infuriated that he tranquilizes her and sends her off to the 'transformation room' where she is to become an animal. David consequently escapes the hotel and goes to the woods to live with the loners. This is where he meets the love of his life, 'Short-Sighted Woman.'

They both find that the rules of the loners in the forest are just as stringent as they were in the hotel. However, where sexual activity was promoted in the hotel to encourage singles coupling up, here in the woods it is strictly forbidden. David and the woman manage to create codes and hand signals to indicate when they want intimacy so they can sneak away.

David and Short-Sighted Woman are finally ready to re-enter society, however the catch comes when Short-Sighted Woman needs a defining characteristic. She elects eye surgery that will render her blind. The film ends with David and the woman sitting at a restaurant booth as David goes to restroom to blind himself. Maybe a sign that he feels the compulsive need to be in the same physical condition as his partner? Open for interpretation. I got Oedipus vibes (blinding oneself, because of some romantic frustration).

Hey, if you aren't afraid of the meta or the interpretative, this movie may just be for you. Yes, the absurdity of the entire thing screams dark comedy and to me it was. I think it was more a film examining assimilation and meeting society's expectations. It's dystopian and clearly not an American idealistic film. Gives the feeling of collectivism. Really well-acted and if you're in the mood for drab cinema, it can be enjoyable.

Streaming: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or available for Rent

Matt's Score: 8.6/10