Dystopian Sci-Fi With All-Star Cast Is One Of The Strangest Movies You’ll Ever Watch
It’s unlikely you’ll come across another movie as strange and unique as The Lobster. This 2015 movie is directed and co-written by Yorgos Lanthimos. He’s done other strange movies like Killing of a Sacred Deer and Poor Things. His movies are often very comedic, while at the same time being dry and dark.
The Premise Of The Lobster
The Lobster is considered a “pitch-black comedy,” and it certainly delivers. The premise is that our main character, David, finds himself using a service to help him find the love of his life.
The catch? If David doesn’t find yourself someone by the end of 45 days, he’ll be turned into an animal–specifically, in his case, a lobster.
The Cast
The main character is played by Colin Farrell, also in Horrible Bosses, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and Dumbo. He’s not the only notable name in the movie.
John C. Reilly (Boogie Nights), Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener), and Olivia Colman (The Crown) are some of the other notable faces you’ll see throughout The Lobster.
Originally, the cast was meant to be a little different. Jason Clarke would have played David, but scheduling conflicts meant that Colin Farrell took the role.
Elizabeth Olsen was considered for a role as well, but her schedule was too packed with commitments to Marvel.
An Acquired Taste
Nathanael Hood, a critic at Rotten Tomatoes, describes the movie as such, “Though many elements are undeniably comedic, The Lobster belongs first and foremost to the horror genre; a fact all the more impressive considering it never seeks to deliberately scare its audience.
It’s not a movie everyone can enjoy. Many critics describe Lanthimos’ movies as an “acquired taste.” If you’re a fan of bizarre movies that draw you in and make you think deeply when the movie is over, The Lobster is worth giving a shot.
Upon release, critics loved the movie for its mix of humor, originality, and acting. Audience members, though, weren’t quite as sure how they felt.
This is one of those movies you can’t just watch once. Every time you decide to view watch it, you pick up just a little bit more.
A Statement On The Pressures To Be In Romantic Relationships
The movie is said to be a statement on society’s focus on relationships. Those with romantic partners and children are said to be more fulfilled and further along in their lives than those without partners.
Just like in the film, in real life there are businesses revolving around the idea of helping people find romantic partners.
The Lobster takes that idea and twists it into something darker and more obvious. If you’re not someone who reads deeply into themes and subtle messages of movies, it’s still an enjoyable movie.
The Lobster Did Well At The Box Office
Despite the rather divided review, the movie did well at theatrical release. It cost $4 million to film the movie and grossed $18 million.
Thankfully if you subscribe to Max, you can check out The Lobster right away. It’s available on this streaming platform as part of your subscription.
