The Lobster (2015)

In a dystopian near future, single people are obliged to find a matching mate in 45 days or are transformed into animals and released into the woods. (imdb)
Cast and Information
Directed By: Yorgos Lanthimos
Written By: Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthymis Filippou
Starring: John C. Reilly, Olivia Colman, Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Ben Whishaw, Léa Seydoux, Michael Smiley, Ashley Jensen, Ariane Labed, Jessica Barden, Angeliki Papoulia
Genres: Romance, Comedy, Drama, Suspense/Thriller
Country: France, Greece, Ireland, Netherlands, UK
Where to Stream
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The Lobster belongs to 49 collections
1. Mindfuck (collaborative: moderated by Mockus - 86 stars)
2. Certified weird (collaborative: moderated by Dreamer - 47 stars)
3. Academy Award - Oscar - ALL Best Picture, Directing, Acting & Screenplay Nominees (collaborative - 22 stars)
4. A24 (collaborative: moderated by elhenzo - 18 stars)
5. Edgar Wright 1000 Favorite Movies (Aug 2016) (collaborative: moderated by Aron Ericson - 17 stars)
6. Films available in HD (collaborative: moderated by kubricksucks - 13 stars)
7. Cannes Film Festival: Jury Prize (collaborative: moderated by hristos - 13 stars)
8. Future (collaborative: moderated by djross - 12 stars)
9. Mindfuck, surreal, strange and weird films (List by André "BadSmile" Byman) (public: stalebread - 8 stars)
10. European Film Awards: Best Film (nominations) (collaborative: moderated by Rubens - 6 stars)
11. Availability: Netflix Canada (collaborative: moderated by geohawk - 5 stars)
12. Top 3000 movies with the most votes on IMDb (public: fanfic - 5 stars)
13. Near future (collaborative: moderated by djross - 4 stars)
14. Wikipedia's list of dystopian films (collaborative: moderated by ND Geek - 4 stars)
15. edkrak films to see (public: edkrak - 4 stars)
16. Cannes 2015 Official Selection (collaborative: moderated by CCLZA - 3 stars)
17. Unconventional Cinema (public: holsgr - 3 stars)
18. Top 1000 movies with the most votes on IMDb (public: fanfic - 3 stars)
19. 89th Academy Awards Nominees (collaborative: moderated by SpeedlimiT - 2 stars)
20. Best Original screenplay (collaborative: moderated by Roman_Herbom - 2 stars)
21. 89th Academy Awards: Nominees (public: okayfrog - 2 stars)
22. The AV Club's 100 Best Movies of the 2010s (public: TychoCelchuu - 2 stars)
23. Top 2000 movies with the most votes on IMDb (public: fanfic - 2 stars)
24. filmekimi 2015 (collaborative: moderated by ceseth - 1 star)
25. 74th Golden Globe Nominees - 2016 (collaborative: moderated by BeeDub - 1 star)
26. 89th Academy Reminder List (2016) (collaborative: moderated by cowfrappe - 1 star)
27. vitamine.cineville.nl (collaborative: moderated by amsterdam020 - 1 star)
28. best of the year (public: ehk2 - 1 star)
29. 2016 Films to Watch (public: kendell - 1 star)
30. AV Club 20 Best Films of 2016 (public: TychoCelchuu - 1 star)
31. allah (x4) bu nasıl sevmek (public: egebasaran - 1 star)
32. Best of 2016 (public: kendell - 1 star)
33. Next Up (collaborative: moderated by davidysteph)
34. Fantastic Fest 2015 (collaborative)
35. not blatantly transphobic (collaborative: moderated by itsben)
36. simon (collaborative: moderated by f_ranzen)
37. Sonhos Públicos (collaborative: moderated by pmpfe)
38. Movies I've Seen In Theaters (public: SirStuckey)
39. CIFF 2015 (public: Matthew Parkinson)
40. seen in 2016 (public: sproost)
41. 2015 (public: ccllanos)
42. Edgar 256 (public: caffe)
43. Available to watch (public: Paxton)
44. Tom's Movies (public: tomwalsh)
45. Tone (public: dhewett)
46. seen (public: gamzeknc)
47. 2019 (public: cash)
48. NZIFF 2015 (public: adwilson)
49. must watch (public: gintokidai)
Browse the full list of collections
Stars | User | Rating | |
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Dean Franz | 55 48th |
Remember that scene in Dog Day Afternoon with Pacino screaming "Attica"? Sure you do. Now replace Pacino with a pretentious greek director and replace the word "Attica" with the word "Metaphor" and you have The Lobster.
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AFlickering | 6 87th |
satirises first the modern perception of romantic companionship, then the overcompensating revolutionaries with whom the viewer initially identifies, becoming less a one-sided social tract than an overarching existential tragicomedy about the arbitrary and repressive nature of all societal structures, and the individual's struggle to navigate them. it's the 'romance' to DOGTOOTH's 'coming of age' (though far less steeped in sterile haneke detachment FWIW), and it's the funniest film of the year.
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Barthalen | 72 62nd |
As a hopelessly single person, this felt more like an existentialist horror that anything else. Made me cringe or shuffle around on the couch nervously more than a few times. The extremely exaggerated dystopian setting, clinical camerawork, uncomfortable bursts of violence plus deadpan line deliveries create an unsettling atmosphere, though the movie runs out of steam after a while. Didn't find it that funny, but maybe my brain is just broken.
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eCitizen | 10 2nd |
A few choice words come to mind for describing the story, plot, dialog, acting, music & direction. Among them are; Asinine, Atrocious, Awful, Preposterous, Absurd, Idiotic, Pointless, Senseless, Inane, Moronic, Ludicrous, Stupid, Dumb, Brainless, Contrived, Meaningless, Dull, Stupefying, Witless, Feebleminded, Hollow, Irrational, Pretentious, Lame & Worthless. I found absolutely nothing good about this rotten, pathetic mess!
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karamazov. | 55 74th |
Papoulia's again fantastic. The guy at the ticket booth to the theater told me that this was "a great film, if you don't take it literally" [so of course I immediately knew to take it as literally as possible]. As the lights were turned up and the credits rolled down, some asshole nearby began this incredible exposition to the girl he was with about how it was "an allegory for society"-- "yeah," he said, with visceral pride, "I figured it out like 30 min. in." She and I seemed equally astounded.
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aney | 87 94th |
The first half is a genius satire of the society's attitude towards relationships and single people. However, the second half seems a bit underdone. Overall a quirky movie which has lots to say.
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Luna6ix | 42 4th |
If you're arrogant enough to think that you have some sort of social message that ought to be put to film, then doing so behind half-baked metaphors, wrapping it up in dry comedy, and sealing the package up with a bunch of silica packs for good measure is sure to make some conceited, snobby critics happy. I, on the other hand, am a lowly popcorn eater who likes me some entertainment--something this movie has very little to offer.
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Hawkins | 78 64th |
Jordan Peterson's No-Fap Movember goes native when he meets a 2A hippie on a hunting trip for hot singles.
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Suture Self | 9 91st |
Lanthimos is great at a lot of things - this time he succeeds at being funny as hell - but what I find most striking about his work is the punctuated violence. Usually it's jolting, like a violent lurch, and when it happens the tongue-in-cheek humor and the goofiness of his carefully constructed world all but disappears and instead you're left with an isolated moment of excruciating pain and sadness. It never feels cheap or unearned, either.
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4 | theficionado | 100 97th |
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If Dogtooth is about emancipation from a set of arbitrary constraints demanded by social authorities, The Lobster is its disquieting analogue: There is no escape, the resistance is a distorted mirror image, the same rancid sock turned inside out. Even retreating into personal relationships is useless, as they're invariably policed by those authorities, senselessly constructed around arbitrary homophilies -- nosebleeds! -- and end, alternatively, in self-mutilation, lies, or abandonment.
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Beer94 | 73 81st |
Wonderfully weird. I really wish it played around more with its initial premise as the tone and ideology it set up in the hotel scenes made me think i was onto a winner. It does lose me a bit after the hotel section but slowly brings me back towards the end. Its deadpan tone coupled with its sheer absurdity make for an enjoyable movie.
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burmashave | 90 85th |
hilarious and deeply disturbing, strangely moving and aesthetically beautiful, the lobster delivers an unique tone that has become trademark with the auter of ''Dogtooth''. the rigorous, oppressive camerawork compliments the themes of institutionization and repression so well that the bits of gallows humor thrown in there become like real air pockets for a viewer drowning in existential horror and awful, systematic loneliness and emotional terror.
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hellboy76 | 71 84th |
A deadpan satirical stunner. Its amazingly droll and just as amazingly sly. It's hard to rate performances when everyone is a deadpan magician but the performances feel perfectly suited to the surroundings. I can see how this movie would not be for everyone, in fact its probably not for most.
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Leonardis | 79 31st |
Okay, I wasn't actually as wild about this as critics or a lot of other people. I haven't seen much of Yorgos Lanthimos' work but this was a pretty good showcase for him. I will admit, it is very original and unheard of. However, I was getting pretty bored with it a few times. The pacing has some issues even though the story itself is just fine. The performances are mostly good too. DEFINITELY not for everybody. I may come back and watch it again, but I am not so sure yet. Good movie otherwise.
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Yiannos | 55 36th |
Lanthimos' very postmodern (i.e dated) fascination with deconstructing social rules and norms has served him well, but The Lobster is portentous and overstylized, desperately straining for acceptance. Whether Lanthimos has a perspective on humans outside the realm of facile intellectual conceits is debatable. He enjoys playing semantic games, but he doesn't always follow through. The Lobster is an undercooked high concept 'art' film that's well made but is less daring than it initially seems.
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joel-w-m | 9 92nd |
The deadpan delivery of this disturbing dystopia is darkly witty and effectively creepy but starts to wear a little thin near the middle-but then in a brilliant move, the madness reaches its blood-on-the-bathroom-floor pinnacle, someone breaks (emotionally and literally, making a break for it), the pendulum swings, and the weird world is expanded. Strikingly shot and scored, this film raises fascinating questions on relationships and identity. Could've done without most of the narration though.
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Anomaly | 78 69th |
Strong satire of society's attitudes on relationships, the constraints this puts on us, and how individuals struggle to deal with this. However, the commentary on loneliness fell a bit short for me, as the second half's scenario is much less compelling than the dystopian hotel, and it's also less funny in general. Or maybe the concept could only be stretched so far before becoming redundant. Still a good source of some great dark comedy.
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td888 | 20 9th |
It's just not my cup of tea.
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Ofterdingen | 43 24th |
If it's really quirky it must be really good, right? Bullshit. At least Sight & Sound could see through the smoke and mirrors.
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Obdurate | 85 80th |
I love the idea and the world it built. The deadpan satire is amazing, and the first half is just great in general. It does go down a little bit in the second half but it's still entertaining. We should celebrate ambitious and original movies like this.
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Bown | 82 63rd |
The first half is extremely strong and the kind of jet-black satire that Lanthimos excels at. It loses steam once they get to the forest but it's still funny and stuff, just seems to suffer from a lack of focus
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dwyer | 83 76th |
Lanthimos does interesting work in framing the love-obsessed world, but then he rotates the image, skewering and condemning unapologetic singles who pass judgment on couples. This next-leveling turns what would have been a creative but rather shallow black comedy into something much more interesting in a kind of not-so-fast-you-in-the-condescension-corner way. If I like this movie at all, it's because I found myself tsk-tsking in the first half and dodging the finger of accusation in the next
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stuie299 | 70 33rd |
The film started out very interesting, but around halfway it just began to rehash the first half, but from the opposite viewpoint. I think the cold nihilistic atmosphere did foster some great dark deadpan jokes/laughs, but I eventually grew tired of it. I just kept wanting to punch a lot of the supporting characters in the face for how emotionless and singularly focused they were. Though technically it's very much on point. Indeed a supremely beautiful film to look at.
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bakcheia | 86 79th |
"We all dance alone. That's why we only listen to electronic music."
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patman | 56 31st |
A familiar world but a whole new sets of rules. It feels surreal to experience this weird and cold reality as it gives us allegories on modern relationships and stigmas to being single. It's complex and original but personally I find it too bizarre and weird.
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meltemcilik | 69 65th |
Very different and nice explication of love story where the idea of love has been exposed from all its angles including the laughable, absurd, hard and sad ones. splendid black humor scattered by metaphor and parallels. A great rest from all the blank and over-simplified statement of inter-human relationships we've been fed by mainstream media for the past decades.
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philamental | 63 42nd |
The first half was superb, a remarkable satire of society and relationships, with hilarious dialogue and performances from all involved. Then, it just faded, and continued to fade, and while the previous strengths were still visible they didn't pack anything like the same punch and I found myself losing interest. One of the best gags of the year (little girl kick) was quickly followed by the least tasteful (brother's fate) and that was my experience in a nutshell. Brilliant, then disappointing
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Corbad | 55 22nd |
The one-note delivery, arthouse classical blasts and slow motion, and very strange (but even more strangely relevant) premise worked for a while, drawing a few laughs and a lot of curiosity, but could not hold up for the length of the film. In the end, whatever it had begun with had fully lost its impact and it finished as a tired, drawn out affair.
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jacobclark12 | 87 83rd |
This is one of the weirdest films I've ever liked. The Lobster is incredibly deadpan and dark in its humor, and its premise is one of the most unique dystopian setups I've seen. The performances from all match the film's tone well, especially Colin Farrell's and the direction from Giorgos Lanthimos is very artistic but not to the point of inaccessibility. It might not be the most watchable film ever, but The Lobster is well-acted and visually stunning with a very clever premise.
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feublo | 80 57th |
Dark, disturbing, and for me had an exceptional concept. I often find the awkward and emotionless dialogue rather annoying, but it seemed appropriate through all acts. Somewhere throughout the movie it starts to give an accurate representation of the deepest and honest thoughts among social relationships. A few repulsive scenes caught me off guard and I rather enjoyed the clever dialogue deconstructing love and relationships......I got a pig in the collector's edition.....
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schnofel | 66 64th |
These are nice ideas, and I'm glad they exist, but I can just as well remove myself from their surrealist detachment. There is more exhilaration, sadness, and compassion in Roy Andersson's films.
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yoohoo | 60 19th |
Quite possibly the most bizarre film I've ever watched. Creatively it was a masterpiece. How straight the film is acted only adds to the madness. But I couldn't engage with it. I laughed at moments that were funny, but usually I was laughing because how could what was happening on screen actually have happened.
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djross | 55 52nd |
The effect of the preponderance of formula movies is to leave audiences hungry to experience some kind of genuine narrative surprise, and so they are rightly delighted to discover the unusual scenarios and allegories devised by this filmmaker, but perhaps for this reason, too, these same audiences may have a tendency to over-estimate the films themselves. So at least I am beginning to suspect. Just didn't seem that uproarious to me. Nevertheless, some good ideas.
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easydiff | 4 2nd |
Lanthimos has constructed a well-realized world that operates orthogonal to our own, and the people in it aren't human. Their mumblecore inanity is just painfully dull, and for every funny line (for the record, there are 2 of these) there is an additional hour of truly, truly wretched awkward talking and on-the-nose allegory that's too hamfisted and self-satisfied to be enjoyable.
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nutcrackr | 79 73rd |
Quite clever and interesting. The relationship hotel was rather amusing as the couples interact like autistic children. I felt the last third fell away from its humor and message, but still a good film overall.
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Alex Watkins | 4 70th |
Yorgos Lanthimos makes comedies that all but dare his viewers to laugh. The palpable absurdity of his concepts and the discomfort which stems from it is played so po-faced and straight that it becomes damn-near wounding.
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PeaceAnarchy | 88 90th |
This was hilarious. Maybe a bit too deadpan to make the themes really hit home, you get the sense this society has desensitized all the characters so much that the idea of love and meaningful relationships is lost on them no matter where they stand. But it still has a lot of interesting commentary on social expectations, human connection, conformity, and non-conformity as if emotions aren't meaningful if not put in some relation to social expectations.
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Space Pope | 85 89th |
If I were to be turned into an animal I would want to become a bumble bee because they are fuzzy friends. I am so glad I'm married tho
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twincinema | 85 85th |
Lanthimos gets me. He burrows into my skin with his offbeat weirdness, a mix of dark comedy and stark violence, and just sorta melts into my bloodstream with gorgeous wide-pan shots of lakes and forests. He knows what I like, even if he doesn't *actually* know. I just like to think that he's thinking of me.
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prowler | 62 59th |
the satire and detachment aren't as hard-hitting as they're supposed to, but they're welcome. the non-acting works nicely too, but why not go full-bresson and use non-actors? too slick for any lasting impact, but it's a solid watch anyway.
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Koalafish | 70 68th |
Original and bizarre, but it became a little dull in the second half.
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Icarus | 75 49th |
Formally, quite good. And I liked the productive nature of the narrative conceit that single people were simply not fit for society and needed to be coupled off. The film did feel a bit meandering at times. ***spoiler alert*** The unresolved finale seems to me something of a challenge, putting us in the place of both characters--would we close ourselves into society's box in order to continue to live fully, or would we insist on going our own ways and therefore suffer the consequences.
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KasperL | 60 50th |
A darkly funny satire which loses not only its steam but also its way towards the end.
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Dirk33 | 0 1st |
Urgh!
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JakeAesthete | 93 93rd |
Literally stunned that my closest TCIs don't like this more. The way Lanthimos balances the incredibly specific tone in the first half is truly a wonder to behold. If the film shows the slightest sign of strain in the latter portion, it's only because of how ambitious a conceptual gambit the whole thing is. All and all, a huge leap forward for Lanthimos, who has finally found his own completely distinctive voice.
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Neonman | 87 86th |
Nice to finally see a film that comments on the epidemic of loneliness, and does so in a way that tries desperately to escape its own misanthropy. Lanthimos' absurd and ridiculous dystopian setting is a hilarious nightmare, bound to make you laugh and have a panic attack at the same time. The first half reveals the systems of this odd order, as well as the brilliantly deadpan performances, whereas the second half (though not quite as funny) fills in the "romance" side of things.
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slassy | 30 2nd |
That was exhausting.
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moraesfelipe | 20 1st |
Another lifeless, self-punishing and miserable parody by one of the most overrated directors of contemporary cinema, a man that is capable of turning stupidity into festival-friendly art. Like Dogtooth, a film that despises audience and its characters. I confess that I liked that scene when Farrell kicks the girl, though. The rest of it is just self-pleasure, a narrative of "oh look how weird and metaphorical I am trying to be?" moments.
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2 | sellis | 94 95th |
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Another dark, absurdist fable from Giorgos Lanthimos, who keeps his stories just vague enough for the themes to be plentiful. The serious, obliviously-ironic performances give it the humanity it needs to transcend being merely a farce. What we have as an end result captures the desperation, emasculation, and utter delusion induced by a relationship-crazed society. And, like Dogtooth, we have a pretty damning critique of any ritualistic society (which, by definition, smothers the "individual").
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eric-jan | 80 87th |
Absurdly unique romance movie that even managed to give me the shivers at times as it portrays the way society wants relationships to be - which obviously is absurd.
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begoniabol | 62 50th |
A very strange, awkward movie, that has strange, awkward dialogue. I liked some parts, others not so much. Not really my kind of movie.
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letskillrobots | 14 36th |
Doesn't need to be two hours.
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Stewball | 40 8th |
When are writers gonna to learn to start with an ending and work back instead of taking a promising premise and bastardizing that into oblivion. This didn't even fade to black, just 15 seconds of.......black. Sorry to ruin the ending but, there it is. (and if you do think that ruined the ending, you're part of the problem.)
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oldgoat | 78 78th |
Interesting concept and metaphor to show the depths we go for relationships. The near aspergers-ish conversation was often very humorous. Falls short of being great but gets points for being unusually memorable.
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SirStuckey | 85 87th |
Great stuff. I found it hilarious but every time I laughed I was painfully aware other people in the theater weren't laughing. They are turds. Sure the humor is dark, deadpan, and often quite bizarre but it's just so brilliantly satirical. The second half doesn't work quite as well as the first but it doesn't hurt the film too much.
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Okkervil | 82 87th |
'The Lobster' is beautifully presented by Lanthimos. Great to look at and to listen to, and genuinely very funny too. The second half of the film set away from the hotel doesn't quite work in the satirically harmonious way the films first half does. However, despite the wanderings of the second half, a good cast, great script and general oddness make this very much noteworthy.
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Judo Koala | 86 94th |
Lanthimos is a master of satire: his wildly deadpan and jet black sense of humour forces the viewer to examine the complexities of modern love and ritualized courtship through a lens of the absurd and the surreal, before shocking you into consciousness with images of sudden violence that work as a form of continual bait-and-switch. This results in a distinct feeling of threat abounding, though Lanthimos maintains very real, very potent humanist emotions in an allegory as funny as it is moving.
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2 | CarsonWid | 78 83rd |
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Highly original with great humour. The second half suffers from bad pacing but is still packed with great stuff.
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deaddilly | 55 19th |
This is familiar territory for Lanthimos- depicting totalitarianism through the lens of absurdity. The premise is undoubtedly his most innovative and playful, however the execution left much to be desired. The major flaw here is that everyone talked/acted like robots the whole time. While sometimes hilarious, these characters were nowhere near emotionally complex enough to care about.
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axleblaze | 91 84th |
Possibly the weirdest movie I've ever seen.
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kerembasaran | 65 37th |
The scenario starts with quite some genius but starts dragging a bit and uses too many elements of violence as the movie progresses. Could have been much more interesting. Had some memorable moments and very good acting.
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PerryStroika | 63 53rd |
After they leave the hotel it seems to lose focus. The artificiality of the scenario makes more sense in the confined area of the hotel;. when the story moves into the wider world you start to ask questions about how this society works, stuff you didn't have to deal with in the hotel. Points for originality though.
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Darren | 30 8th |
All 30 points for Farrell
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2 | damil | 85 95th |
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It did not disappoint. It's definitely reminiscent of Dogtooth - bizarre, uncomfortable, challenging, and brilliant in its examination of humanity. Very thought-provoking and disturbing stuff. The performances are all subtle, precise and excellent all around. A pretty fascinating and affecting film overall. I don't want to say anything about the plot, as, just like Dogtooth, I feel that the film just needs to be experienced. Let's just say: it's not your average dystopian story.
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Trooth | 31 7th |
I think the biggest problem with this movie is that it tries to be both cynical and heartwarming at the same time, and it's nearly impossible to juggle both. There's some solid social commentary in there, but it feels like they're saying both "the world is ok in spite of all this" and "the world is far from ok because of all this" and the two messages don't gel. Probably because of this, it felt twice as long as it was to me.
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2 | myfavchords | 77 61st |
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This film has an original script with some interesting ideas. There are also some weird moments and scenes throughout the story. Colin Farrell gives a very good performance in this film. Overall I would recommend this film.
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nickwin_dk | 61 32nd |
Easily the weirdest film you'll see in a long time! Calling it a comedy is maybe pushing it a bit too far. There are funny moments for sure, but there are some horrific moments in this piece, and some of the characters traits are seriously sinister. It's an oddity for sure, some will hate its narrative structure, and although I thought it was a wonderfully written, acted, and highly original piece of cinema, it left me feeling really depressed after. Worth a watch
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Ryan Lueders (ReelRyan) | 68 26th |
This wasn't the surf and turf of movies, but it did hold my attention. What I couldn't stand was the ending of this film. There is nothing I hate more than something really abrupt and unfinished as an ending. I did think that this was some of Colin Farrell's better acting and honestly the movie was pretty engaging until it all unravels at the end. I've decided that Lea Seydoux just has a resting angry face in all her movies, which really affects her acting...
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Paxton | 82 90th |
I've given it a lot of thought and am finally ready to alter my original impression. I don't think I was wrong initially, just a little too knee-jerk in my reaction. So, to set the record straight, I would actually like to be changed into a muppet. Can I do that?
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Minorsage | 30 15th |
I feel like I would have been a better person having not seen this movie.
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Barraoc | 90 95th |
Yes, I know a lobster is a crustacean, but The Lobster is a strange auld fish nonetheless. The deadpan delivery, by Farrell in particular, is spot on.
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disconnected | 71 53rd |
I hadn't seen a new movie in a while so I was excited at the opportunity to judge this, but I don't have much to say about it, as it turns out. There's no mistaking the level of craft here -- the images are beautiful, the themes ring true, and the bombastic score is used to interesting, deliberately distancing effect -- but ultimately, I have have trouble believing that two perfectly suited lovers would end up together, like one of them would not just leave.
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TamCam | 78 80th |
One of those movies that made me uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable. But in a masochistic fashion I really enjoyed watching the horribly sad and concise plot unwind. I can't even be mad at the vague end... Well a little, but not enough to make me dislike this glorious and shockingly realistic movie. I might need to collect good mood for a few years to dare a re-watch though...
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2 | torbern | 65 26th |
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Visually arresting though it may be, the second half of the film drags terribly. And, spoiler alert... For all of the hubbub that the premise - being turned into an animal of your choice, upon failing to find "love" - stirred up, it means disappointingly little to the actual story (excepting a dark scene involving a dog, and some minuscule sight gags).
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JaiGuy | 75 39th |
Way off the beaten path of mainstream easy-to-digest films. This one is dark and very humorous. It's a nihilist's dream.
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orcunyondem | 43 30th |
I expected way too much. I wish the second part the movie didn't exist. Why wouldn't you follow the first part? So sad.
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2 | donquixotic | 20 13th |
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Apparently it's a satire, to me it looks like an exercise in testing tolerance for utter bollocks. I imagine this is one of those films I'll revisit a decade from now and maybe it'll suddenly click.
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MacSwell | 60 40th |
There are ideas aplenty here but too few are developed to their full potential, especially in the weaker second half where the story loses much of its steam. It's very well made technically, with most of the film's peculiar aspects combining nicely to maximise the unsettling nature of this alternate world, but the deliberately awkward narration and dialogue become distractingly jarring rather quickly. Farrell is wonderfully restrained though, and much of the deadpan humour is marvellous.
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okayfrog | 55 31st |
The initial concept of the film is interesting, but the narrative shift later on is less interesting. Farrell and others seem great in their roles as hapless rejects until we find out that they're no different than anyone else in this world. So why is it the way it is then? What is the importance of anything? Too much left unanswered, but still had some fairly enjoyable moments.
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Armilio | 73 74th |
Grottesco at its finest level. Weird in a positive way. But nothing it's really achieved here, in my opinion. More stylish and lightly satiric than a well-studied dystopia or social-critic, but it's smartly crafted.
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flubbin | 66 36th |
An interesting look at the nature of relationships, but it's almost too eccentric for its own good. The incredibly dry humor misses more than it hits.
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andr | 2 21st |
too strange and too violent for me
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2 | JBerns | 65 6th |
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Too weird for my taste.
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2 | ptravers2 | 7 81st |
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I will say that this bracing allegory hits home about the rules society -- and by extension, us -- impose on relationships. The symbolism is humanized by a top-flight cast and an ending that manages to be brutal and rapturously romantic at the same time. As ever, Lanthimos takes us places most films fear to tread. He asks, with skepticism and regret, is true love a fantasy or a felony or something in between?
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dralangrant | 0 2nd |
This is the worst movie I have ever experienced. Vapid and overt satire about adult romantic relationships told in the most contrived and annoying fashion ever visualized via film.
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edward | 30 34th |
The premise is amusing, and there are many good jokes built around it, but it goes stale and falls flat rather quickly.
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2 | SimonCrunch | 60 21st |
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The first part is hilarious, but by the time the main character gets out, the movie becomes weirder and lacks the frequent bits of humour that made the first part so amusing.
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wayofthegun | 70 41st |
Didn't hold up quite as well in the second half, but I can't say I've seen anything like it before and likely never will again.
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Kavu | 87 89th |
What an english speaking debut from Lanthimos. Runs out of steam for a while near the end but finishes with a high. Brilliant.
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1 | nuotio | 68 88th |
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Fresh & unique film which is quite an accomplishment in this day and age. It's a beautifully cinematographed dystopian satire which says a lot about our relationships & society; it's also very funny and made me laugh more than most comedies. It's a bit overlong and some scenes felt added just to shock & shake the audience. Great to see Farrell in a quality film for a change, as I've felt he had more potential than what his few Hollywood roles showed. I have to check director's previous work
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cagedwisdom | 100 90th |
The kind of film that makes me want to reevaluate all my prior ratings because it's so good. Screenplay of the year.
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cowfrappe | 91 99th |
Endlessly inventive, darkly hilarious, and morbidly intellectual. Requires rewatching but it's worth the effort.
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aethewulf | 63 23rd |
Interesting scenario and good film at first part, but I did not like whole part of the movie.
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bowfinger | 79 81st |
Goo goo g' job.
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frederic_g54 | 8 77th |
If there's one thing I despise, it's being the instigator of laughter; As if social conformity has made people so uncertain of themselves, they will laugh at a joke they barely understand only after someone else laughs before them. Which is unfortunate because this is a savagely funny, surprisingly moving satire.
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Vassago | 63 42nd |
Started as a very original movie, but the second half was a let down.
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camara | 81 69th |
Sátira sobre a obrigatoriedade, dissimulação e a inveja dos relacionamentos afetivos.
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msprague | 80 85th |
Crazy weird but well cast. Worth a look for sure.
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1 | chengming | 80 87th |
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The first half is out of this world; sadly it loses punch a bit in the second.
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Ross | 75 78th |
Lanthimos once again succeeds in balancing absurdity with every day elements to create a thought provoking and humorous experience.
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mistephane | 75 72nd |
Difficult movie to understand, but very rich in details what make it interesting. But, annoying soundtrack. Very annoying.
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XakkMaster | 82 68th |
Crazy, awkward movie with plenty of dark deadpan humor, but a really interesting premise that gets you thinking about life and love. Do you know anyone who will only date people with certain Zodiac signs? Well, maybe this movie isn't so absurd...
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1 | Kalmah7 | 78 60th |
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As with most high concept allegory, don't expect a ton of character development. As with most high concept allegory that's made well, expect to be entertained.
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WWallce4prez | 83 82nd |
It may be a bit too thick with metaphors for some, but The Lobster's quirks and biting satire are pretty sensational. After Dogtooth and this, Lanthimos has made a mark in film that is unique and has me wanting more.
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Kortee | 66 49th |
Actually very funny, but what I didn't like was the over dramatic oddity.
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heapshake | 75 79th |
The second half is somewhat of a let down but I love everything in the institution.
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astrakhan | 79 66th |
First off, great cast and weird comic tone throughout the first section of the movie. The middle section was a bit of an unexpected turn but I can live with it. The last section went in the wrong direction, for me. Given that he's in a made-up sci-fi world and can do whatever he wants, I'm disappointed that Lanthimos didn't come up with a better ending. Still, 75% of the film was remarkable for its surreal theme and immersiveness, looked quite nice too with well-chosen locations and actors.
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zspyry | 7 74th |
Original and memorable, sometimes genuinely funny, sometimes quite disturbing. Overall I guess I'm just not fully convinced by Lanthimos' trademark style.
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psim | 88 96th |
A hilarious dark comedy about the pressures of finding love at all costs. Lanthimos takes the premise to all of its logical extremes and adds more than enough of his personal flourishes to make the film a delight for fans of quirky and unusual cinema.
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roofs_runner | 95 94th |
One of the weirdest and the most insane movies I've seen in years. It has wonderful premise and it its bitter satire of the society is engaging. Fails somehow to keep the pace and its silliness till the end.
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1 | Jazzaloha | 71 72nd |
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The film seems made from the perspective of god chuckling at the folly and ineptitude of humans dealing with marriage and singleness, both on societal and individual levels. Different and interesting, if not exceptional.
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Henrik | 90 96th |
1."She jumped from the window of 180. There is blood and biscuits everywhere". 2."That night, in my sleep, I dreamt that we lived in a big house together in the city with a large, well-lit kitchen, and I was wearing dark blue trousers and a tight cream blouse and he took my clothes off and fucked me up the ass". 3."Back then, he didn't know how much it hurts to be alone - how much it hurts when you cannot reach to rub pain ointment on your back and you are constantly in pain". PRICELESS!
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shalev | 84 77th |
It's fascinating they managed to create a distopian future where Collin Farrell is a good actor.
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PetrosTser | 80 86th |
First of all, "The Lobster" is very well-made: it pulls you in from the very first second. The main idea is brilliant and the two-act script tremendously well-written. The choice of actors was really fitting, as was the soundtrack. The obvious effort makes this original, if controversial, cinematic experience all the more worthwhile. It's certainly not for everyone, but personally I found it quite thrilling.
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AAAutin | 84 92nd |
Now I want my own Parrot C. Lispy.
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Syntheseizur | 86 86th |
Takes aim at the absurdity of social dogma, particularly but not limited to the politics of courting and the dueling ideologies of individualism versus collectivism in a film that carries on the surrealist spirit of Bunuel and Godard. The movie makes the case through relentless, uncomfortable awkwardness that many of our social traditions are simply incompatible with human nature but too deeply ingrained to change, leading to deception and violence in the interest of self-preservation.
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1 | dulbeb | 85 54th |
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Wow, that is one ****** up movie. Liked it a lot.
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Jerky | 55 59th |
Fuck this film is strange. Has a bit of an Orwellian vibe to it. Just interesting enough to keep me watching but not good enough to recommend.
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glumpy_99 | 83 67th |
Another antiseptically icy Lanthimos entry has an intriguing sci-fi premise (playing neatly into societal views of single people) - at is best in the first half within the confines of the institution (overseen by a hilariously severe Colman, essentially stealing the film). Second half becomes redundant and repetitive, not helped by Farrell's too bland and nebbishy performance; because we never really come to empathise with Farrell or Weisz, the opaque conclusion lacks a real visceral charge.
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auhasarderik | 6 40th |
What Oliver Stone would call the gay parrot movie of the decade. Has choice details.
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1 | ericambler | 85 89th |
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A striking, unforgettable black comedy that doubles as an audience litmus test. What you make of THE LOBSTER largely depends upon your own notions of romance and reveals the biases that we all bring to our relationships. It's a kind of non-allegorical fairy tale that invites laughter, disgust, empathy, and bewilderment--in short, all the pathways we'll follow in our search for meaningful human connections.
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fuzzleshnops | 88 80th |
I love refreshingly unique visions like this
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1 | Marnau | 45 2nd |
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20 Gener 2016 - El començament m'ha semblat bé. Gent inexpressiva que trenca convencions, una mica wes anderson. Semblava que podia dur a algun lloc, però ha acabat fent-se monòtona i perd tot interès. Potser pretén ensenyar que les nostres convencions no tenen perquè ser més justificades, naturals o bèsties que les seves; només són una versió estranya de la humanitat, però no menys humana?
Per molt que el plantejament fos alguna cosa així, en la pràctica sembla que només vulgui
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1 | xacviant | 88 87th |
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A nebbish (Colin Farrell) tries to survive in a world where the single are taken to a hotel and given 45 days to find partners; he joins a group of "loners", but runs afoul of their own rules when he falls in love with one of them (Rachel Weisz). Lanthimos adapts his style to Anglophone cinema with smashing results, maintaining the pitch-black humor and lo-fi world-building while adding little touches of humanity around the edges. The result is hilarious, disturbing...and in flashes, touching.
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loc42 | 70 56th |
I'm not sure about my feelings on that. Because it's similar to Deleuzian "body without organs" as was in his previous films on the one-hand and it was spiced up with the overvoice and Trieresque slow-motion pseduo-romanticism on the other, and that prevents the film from condensing its focus and enhancing its mood. But the colour palette and the inner consistency of a lunatic order taking place in a near-future are all qualities which make it nothing less than decent.
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comepelicula | 30 12th |
It was a bit flat and all over the place for my taste, I respect the stylist options but it felt repetitive which made it boring towards the end. For me the long shots with awkward situations where a miss or a hit, sometimes funny but mostly pointless.
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thehynes | 55 44th |
Quirky,weird,preposterous with a heap of deliberately stilted dialogue.An interesting watch but falls short of being particularly likeable
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FoxyRussian | 95 90th |
This has to be the strangest movie I've seen since Lanthimos's other work. Crazy world and world building, awkward deadpan conversations from all actors, a weird conclusion. Everything about this movie should be awful but its equally hilarious and romantic. The uniqueness of everything makes it a little challenging to recommend, but I love Colin Farrell in everything he does so that helped the initial strangeness.
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1 | PUNQ | 70 96th |
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Wonderfully bizarre hunt for companionship! Perhaps a bit overly simple in their aim for quirky, but at least they don't mess about much in their loony little world. Colin Farrell singing Nick Cave and kicking little children are just a little taste of what's on offer. Got plenty more crackling!
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P u l p | 84 93rd |
Brilliant and original.
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QuinlanLJ | 78 72nd |
The Lobster is an odd, but entertaining dark comedy that is just enriched with Lanthimos' distinguishing style of filmmaking. It's a clever caricature of the present-day society's perspective on matchmaking and romance. While the film does lose a bit in the third act this is still a wonderfully well-made film that should be viewed with an open mind.
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KenMeisters | 74 69th |
Quirky, odd and full of great performances.The movie goes places you don't think about while asking about your worth in life as a single person. Also, don't choose to be a dog. At least be something cool or individual.
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Fuentissimo | 69 89th |
This movie transformed on me, which is clever given the premise. Its seriousness given the absurdity of its reality makes the first third quite funny. The lengths at which the characters go to secure a match becomes more intense, and for me laughter started to feel inappropriate. The story is ruthlessly brutal to its characters, and their surrender to circumstances can be funny, but also, and continually more so, quite sad. Bizarre, dark, and unsettling, still, strangely likable.
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felixgartner | 60 18th |
Lacks pacing, and movement. Shots are too dry. If the whole thing is an allegory, first; it's not clear on what, and second, why do we have to solve a puzzle that solely makes sense in director's mind? Also lacks humor.
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amazedemon | 70 82nd |
The Lobster is visually pleasing, with a jarring score that perfectly builds tension and helps create the dark, surreal world presented. As a satire of romance and relationships, the film is artistic, original and funny; but it mildly loses its footing in the second half, opting for a vague (slightly unsatisfying) ending. Weisz's narration lends to augment the creepy atmosphere, and Farrell performance is good, but at times I questioned his choice to "play autistic", which is trying by the end.
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1 | BadFurDay | 7 74th |
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Rather unsettling. If you can get over the annoyingly random feeling of the movie, you might enjoy this weird satirical experience where every character is a deadpan version of some stereotype you meet way too often in society. Brilliant at times, dumb at others.
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1 | luddifier | 9 90th |
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Beautiful, but I can't really explain why. Disturbing in such a profound way with a sense of honesty and lack of compromise that I feel I can't judge or interpret this work of art, just accept it for what it is. A rare feat indeed.
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IeuanDP | 85 85th |
I can see why it's pretty polarising. It can be a difficult watch and doesn't evoke much pathos, but I think the emotional blunting actually makes it work. It functions on a couple of different levels as a fun, absurdist satire on love without being too up its own arse about it. The pragmatism of this concept of needing some kind of superficial compatibility to open yourself up to someone, and of the constant pressure to affirm one status or the other is utopic - emotion and chance defy it.
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Boxcars | 7 49th |
'The Lobster' is a great English-speaking debut for Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos. The movie is equally hilarious and disturbing thanks to a seamless blend of deadpan comedy and an absurdly morbid dystopian setting. Unfortunately, while it continues to entertain into its second half, the story's meandering direction grows more noticeable as the movie rolls on.
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1 | toddsalter | 95 92nd |
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Yes! I love my weird movies. Not as good as Dogtooth, but good. I see the alternate universe as good science fiction rather than comedy.
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1 | DMBMother | 92 65th |
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Absurd. Quite funny. It's like deadpan slapstick, if that's a thing. Worth watching!
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anilscn | 30 17th |
Gerçekçilik-inandırıcılık 0/100. Hayatımda bu kadar saçmalar saçması film izlemedim desem yalan olur. Recep ivedik 5 ve the expendables'ten filan daha gerçekçiydi. Verdiğim bu güzel puan tamamen hükümetlerin evlilik yandaşı politikalarına alegorik eleştirisinden alıyor. Hepsi bu
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1 | MALEEMOTIONS | 95 85th |
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I can easily see people having polarizing views on this film, and perhaps that is part of its charm, but to me it is one of the best films released in 2015. The often subtle and sometimes ridiculous black humour throughout carry this film along and underscore everything the characters do. Another really solid film from Lanthimos. Well acted and well narrated. A+.
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siphus007 | 84 84th |
This absurd and off-putting relationship-centric dark satire is exhausting, one-of-a-kind, and very likely changed the way I look at some things in life.
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1 | ymyogev | 75 34th |
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Wish it didn't have made the switch around the middle from eccentric social satire to aggravated romantic drama. Farrell is bearable. Watch Lanthimos' short works if you haven't.
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1 | BlakeEngel | 9 71st |
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A truly great movie. Using the tools of absurdity, satire and black comedy to analyze and deconstruct romantic relationships, loneliness and love. Colin Farrell shows a side of himself never before seen that truly demonstrates astonishing potential. Rachel Weiss is equally hilariously bizarre and intriguing. I love that we are obviously in an alternate world but are not given all the pieces to completely understand this world, allowing the audience to fill in the blanks. A wonderful film.
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1 | waterfire | 72 55th |
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Entertaining and weird, got a little predictable and slow towards the end with and ok ending couldn't help but see coming. All in all a watchable film
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1 | mybad702 | 96 86th |
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Like Dogtooth Lanthimos mixes tight direction and cinematography with an extremely original, weird and darkly funny script that I could not turn away from. Loved every second
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1 | dr_Robert | 3 40th |
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Filmen förutsätter att åskådaren accepterar några ganska absurda premisser. Gör man det har man sedan en ganska rolig stund framför bioduken. Farrell är utmärkt i huvudrollen och visar sig kunna långt mer än jag trodde på förhand. Men har filmen nåt att säga? Den vill nog få oss att fundera kring samhällets normer för vad som är "match" mellan en man och en kvinna och varför vi (I allmänhet) eftersträvar att leva parliv. Men nåt eget bud är det tveksamt om den ger.
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peyrin | 65 42nd |
Other directors use dystopia as a weapon for social commentary but Yorgos just uses it to mess around and make characters say bizarre funny things
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1 | themacsays | 75 53rd |
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Extremely weird absurd story. Very entertaining and darkly comic. Extremely darkly at times. Maybe does run out of steam a little towards the end.
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ienjoycinema | 85 91st |
Introspective, it utilizes it's bleak dystopian setting for metaphors that explore the human desire to love and be loved, whether or not love is a selfish act, as well as the societal pressures to settle down with a partner. Laden with quirky, deadpan humor, it's comedic tone helps create levity to contrast dark subject matter. It's open-interpretation style of storytelling might be perceived as contrived tho. Marred by a slow first act and a wandering script, it falls just short of cult classic
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nil204 | 73 42nd |
Yes, it's overstylized but the overstyling here does not cause any hair loss. In fact, it serves as a stark reminder on the benefits of not feeling at home in the forest (that is in the woods, darling) full of ramblers, gamblers, back biters and rabbits.
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lmwilkerson | 100 99th |
I don't regard this as a comedy
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1 | taurus1982 | 14 7th |
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Bland, boring, and with a central message that doesn't resonate.
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Average Percentile 60.78% from 4580 Ratings | ![]() |