The Lobster
Movie, 2015, The 2010s, Set in The Hotel
The Lobster is #6 of 37 in release order and #6 of 37 in chronological order in the A24.
The story
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 animals and sent off into The Woods.
The Lobster recap
The Lobster (2015) is set in a world where single adults are taken to a hotel and given 45 days to find a partner or be turned into an animal of their choice. Yorgos Lanthimos directs and co-writes with Efthimis Filippou, his first English-language film. David (Colin Farrell), just left by his wife, arrives with his brother, who has already become a dog, and picks a lobster as his fate. Couples must match on one shared trait, a limp, a lisp, nosebleeds, so a limping man (Ben Whishaw) fakes nosebleeds to win a woman. Guests earn extra days by hunting loners in the woods with tranquilizer guns. David pairs with a heartless woman by feigning cruelty; when she kills his brother and sees him cry, he escapes and joins the loners, led by Léa Seydoux, who ban all romance. There he falls for a short-sighted woman (Rachel Weisz). The film stands alone.
The Lobster ending explained
The Lobster ends with David in a restaurant bathroom, holding a steak knife to his eye. The loners' leader read the short-sighted woman's diary and, instead of the promised eye surgery, had her blinded. David ties the leader up in a grave for wild dogs to find and escapes to the city with the woman he loves. Because couples must share a trait, he goes to blind himself so they match. He hesitates with the knife raised; the film cuts back to her waiting alone at the table, and never shows whether he does it.
Post-credits scenes
No. The Lobster has no mid- or post-credits scene.
Where to watch The Lobster
The Lobster is streaming on HBO Max in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.1/10, Rotten Tomatoes 87%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Room, before Green Room.
- Chronological order: after Room, before Green Room.
Cast
- Colin Farrell as David
- Rachel Weisz as Short Sighted Woman
- Olivia Colman as Hotel Manager
- Léa Seydoux as Loner Leader
- Michael Smiley as Loner Swimmer
- Ariane Labed as The Maid
- John C. Reilly as Lisping Man
- Ben Whishaw as Limping Man
- Angeliki Papoulia as Heartless Woman
- Jessica Barden as Nosebleed Woman
- Emma O'Shea as Nosebleed Woman's Best Friend
- Ashley Jensen as Biscuit Woman
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos.