Review for The Lobster (2016) Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. Starring: Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Jessica Barden. IMDB says “In a dystopian near future, single people, according to the laws of The City, are taken to The Hotel, where they are obliged to find a romantic partner in forty-five days or are transformed into beasts and sent off into The Woods.”

“That’s why we only play electronic music.”

The Lobster takes place in the future where single people are taken to a hotel and forced to find a companion. If within 45 days you can’t find someone, you are turned into an animal of your choosing. If that doesn’t get your attention then this film is not for you. If it does, then friend, you are in for a fascinating and imaginative time. The Lobster is the latest film from writer/director Yorgos Lanthimos and holy shit this thing is weird. It’s just as creative and inventive as his previous films Dogtooth and Alps, if not more. Performances aside, the big stand out is how well thought out this premise is. Even now as I write this review a day after seeing the film, I can’t think of a single plot hole or moment that doesn’t feel believable. I found myself enthralled with the world that was created and felt satisfied as we looked at all of its different facets. Quirky would be an understatement and a half.

The performances, as distant and affective as they are, are fantastic. Colin Farrell is outstanding as David, this complex character who takes us on his journey through this world. John C. Reilly nearly steals scenes as “Lisping Man” (seriously, its how he’s credited) giving us brief moments of humor that break us away from the dry, dark humor that overstuffs the film. Lea Seydoux, Rachel Weisz, Ben Wishaw, Ashley Jensen, and Ariane Labed are solid in the film, as previously stated, but I wouldn’t feel right talking about their characters. I don’t even want to touch on the plot outside of the premise because this film needs to be experienced as blind as possible. The less you know, the better your experience will be. The film is gorgeous and the soundtrack is eerily wonderful. The best way to describe the look, sound, and feel is Wes Anderson by way of Lars Von Trier. Trust me, that’s a good thing. I found myself laughing out loud at moments that were both called for, and not and while I do have one major problem with the film, but I can’t talk about it. We’d end up in spoiler territory and I don’t want to oversell or undersell any aspects of this film. I also don’t want to set something up that you’ll be able to anticipate. I’ve said too much.

If it’s playing near you, give it a shot. It’s the most creative, and possibly, the best-acted film you’ll see so far this year. I hope it gets a wide release, though I’m sure it’ll only be found in art house and indie theatres. If you’re not close to those then DEFINITELY check this film out through your on-demand on streaming services when it becomes available.

This week I was able to see a screening of the newest flick from Greece’s very own Yorgos Lanthimos. Before this screening I was unaware of this director or his work besides a co-worker once recommending his previous feature, Dogtooth. Also I had refrained from any trailers so I went in knowing absolutely nothing about what I was about to see. Let me just say this movie is not for everyone, including myself unfortunately.

I really hoped I would enjoy The Lobster, but no matter how hard I tried I just couldn’t get into the film. The story was just a little too over the top for me and just felt like the movie was trying to be “in your face” weird for weirdness’ sake. I felt the same confusion after the film as I did a couple weeks prior after seeing High-Rise. The synopsis alone should tell you enough and give you an idea of what to expect.

I get what the filmmaker was trying to do and that the movie is a satire on societal views of relationships and our roles within that society, but the overall unexplained weird shit just throws the whole thing off. I did find the movie entertaining at times for sure and it actually provided some really good laughs which was one of the positives. I also enjoyed the acting style which was equally as awkward, almost feeling like lines were being poorly read from a script by really nervous actors. Like I said, the movie is strange in many ways. I was unaware that John C. Reilly was even in the film until he appears on screen, but I thoroughly enjoyed his character. The film features a great cast including Rachel Weisz and two from the Spectre cast, Ben Whishaw and Lea Seydoux.

I don’t really have much else to say as I didn’t really care for the film and at times found myself struggling to follow the movie or even pay attention in general. If you’re into strange art house satire then this could be a good watch, but for everyone else it may not be your cup of tea.

FTS SCORE: 72%