The Lobster Review

If you had to pick an animal to be for the rest of your life, what would it be? Would you pick a dog or cat that everyone seems to love? Or maybe something more exotic like a peacock or dolphin? In the movie The Lobster, you have the ability to be turned into an animal of your choosing, but that isn't necessarily a good thing.

The plot of The Lobster is pretty interesting. In the future being single has been made illegal and if you are single you have 45 days to find a partner. Singles go to this hotel where they try to find a partner. At this hotel the guests attend dances and seminars that explain the benefits of being in a relationship. The guests also go on hunts in the nearby woods where Loners (those that don't want to be in a relationship) are hiding. If a guest is able to tranquilize a Loner, they get an extra day added to their stay. In The Lobster, you get to experience the hotel through the eyes of David, played by Colin Farrell. While at his stay at the hotel, David starts to question whether this is a place he wants to be and wonders if it would be better being a Loner.

What I enjoyed most about The Lobster was the world building. It was really fun seeing the rules that were set up in the hotel like the dances and seminars, as well as sports that only singles can play and how if you find a partner you access new parts of the hotel. It was also fun seeing the rules of the Loners where you are not allowed to kiss another Loner and you dance while listening to EDM with headphones on away from other Loners. Also when people visited a nearby city, the cops would question anyone who was seen by themselves to make sure they had "marriage" papers.

I also enjoyed the dark humor within The Lobster. A lot of the humor was found in the rules within the hotel especially during the seminars demonstrating why being in a relationship was good. One of the strange rules within the hotel is that if you find a partner but soon find yourself arguing, the assign you a kid so your attention is no longer on each other but instead on a child. There is also a rather funny, yet disturbing scene where a guest of the hotel decides to kill herself by jumping out a window, but doesn't jump out a high enough window so she survives. It was really messed up but the way they had her laying on the ground crying in pain was pretty funny, especially the way David reacts.

Even though I really enjoyed The Lobster there were a couple of things that bothered me. The thing that disturbed/bothered me the most was a scene where a lady kills David's dog, which is also his brother since he never found a partner. At first the lady just describes what she did, but then they showed the dogs body and it really wasn't needed. I also would have enjoyed more time with the guests in the hotel. About midway through the movie you start hanging out with the Loners. The Loners to be were not as interesting as those inside the hotel.

I loved The Lobster. The premise is original and dark and at times absolutely hilarious, but it also contains some disturbing imagery that will bother some people. If you are looking for a film that is not your traditional romance and not a big budget blockbuster, The Lobster may be for you. Also if you are a fan of Colin Farrell, you must see this movie, he is outstanding in it.