Film review: The Lobster

Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, the dark imagination behind Dogtooth and Alps, delivers another breathtaking portrait of human behaviour with this quirky comedy drama set in a dystopian near future.

In this bleak, unforgiving time, single people who live in The City are transported to The Hotel run by a Manager (Olivia Colman), who explains guests have 45 days to find a soulmate among the other residents.

Anyone who fails to find a partner will be transformed into a wild animal that reflects their personality. A widower called David (Colin Farrell) arrives at The Hotel and befriends a Lisping Man (John C Reilly) and a Limping Man (Ben Whishaw).

They look for mates among the female population, but as the days pass without a hint of romance, David grows desperate and flees The Hotel, escaping into nearby woods where he joins the Loners, who believe in a solitary existence.

In this idyll of individuality, David falls for a Short Sighted Woman (Rachel Weisz), but finds they must hide their feelings.