The Lobster (2015)
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In a world where single people must find love or be transformed into animals, a man struggles to find a connection in a high-stakes hotel.
The story
After his wife leaves him, David is taken to a hotel where single people are required to find a romantic partner within 45 days. If they fail to find a match, they will be transformed into an animal of their choice. David, who hopes to become a lobster, must navigate the hotel's strict rules and rituals while attempting to find a compatible partner among the other residents. The atmosphere is tense as the guests are fixated on finding mates who share specific, often superficial, traits to ensure compatibility in a system that punishes solitude.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
David is escorted to a hotel after his wife leaves him. He is told that single people have 45 days to find a partner or be transformed into animals. David chooses a lobster. He meets other guests, like Robert and John, who seek partners with shared physical traits. The hotel enforces strict rules, including mandatory sexual stimulation by a maid and a ban on masturbation. To extend their time, guests can hunt 'loners' in the nearby woods. David eventually enters a partnership with a cruel woman after a series of incidents, including the death of his brother Bob. He later escapes the hotel and joins a group of 'loners' in the woods who forbid romance. He begins a secret relationship with a short-sighted woman. After a failed attempt by the loners to sabotage the hotel and a subsequent betrayal by the loner leader, who blinds David's partner, David and the woman flee to the city. The film ends with David preparing to blind himself to share a commonality with his partner.
- First release year
- 2015
- Runtime (minutes)
- 118
- Production countries
- Ireland; United Kingdom; Greece; France; Netherlands
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Yorgos Lanthimos
- Writers
- Efthimis Filippou · writer; Yorgos Lanthimos · writer
- Cast and characters
- Colin Farrell; Rachel Weisz; Jessica Barden; Olivia Colman; Ashley Jensen; Ariane Labed; Angeliki Papoulia; John C. Reilly; Léa Seydoux; Michael Smiley; Ben Whishaw
- Genres
- absurdist; black comedy; drama; romance; science fiction; thriller
- Themes
- societal constructs; superficiality of dating; individualism vs. partnership; conformity
- Tone and mood
- absurdist; deadpan; satirical; disturbing
- Premise and plot tags
- dystopian; satire; transformation; romance
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics, with praise for its screenplay, humor, originality, and thematic content.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 88% · scale: percentage · review count: 268; IGN · score: 8.5 · scale: 10
- Production trivia
- Originally featured Jason Clarke in the lead role.; The film's production was influenced by the actor's training with Philippe Gaulier.; The film's poster was considered one of the best of the 2010s by a professional designer.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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