The anti-romance for the "dating app" era
If you’ve ever felt like modern dating is a series of bizarre, mandatory rituals, The Lobster takes that feeling and turns it into a literal nightmare. It’s a movie that treats the search for a soulmate with the same bureaucratic coldness as filing your taxes. While the premise sounds like a high-concept comedy, the execution is closer to a horror movie where the monster is social expectation.
Colin Farrell plays a man who has been dumped and sent to a hotel where he has 45 days to find a new partner. If he fails, he’s turned into an animal. He chooses a lobster. It’s a weird, uncomfortable setup that never lets up. The movie is famous for its "flat affect" style—the actors speak in a monotone, robotic way that strips all the warmth out of human interaction. It’s brilliant if you’re a fan of absurdist art, but it’s a total vibe-killer if you’re looking for a casual watch.
Why it’s a "Hard Pass" for family night
Some movies are "mature" because of a few bad words or a single scene. The Lobster is mature in its very DNA. The violence isn't the stylized, fun kind you see in a superhero movie; it’s sudden, mean, and often involves animals or self-harm. It’s designed to make you feel bad. Critics might call it "thrillingly ambitious," but for a regular viewer, it can feel like a 119-minute endurance test.
If you have a teen who is starting to get into "indie" films or follows prestige studios, they might be tempted by the "Certified Fresh" status or the quirky premise. However, this isn't a gateway drug to cinema. If your kid is looking for something stylized and artsy but slightly more grounded, you’re better off checking out Rumble Fish for that noir atmosphere without the relentless bleakness.
The A24 trap
There’s a specific kind of parent who sees a movie from a trendy indie distributor and thinks it’s safe for a smart 15-year-old. The Lobster is the ultimate proof that "indie" does not mean "all ages." While we’ve put together a list of A24 movies appropriate for tweens, this one is at the exact opposite end of that spectrum.
The movie doesn't just show adult situations; it deconstructs them in a way that requires a lot of life experience to even parse. Without that context, it just looks like a movie where people are cruel to each other for no reason.
The "What did I just watch?" factor
If you decide to watch this as an adult, do it when you’re in the mood for a debate, not a relaxation session. The second half of the movie shifts locations and gets even more cynical, exploring a group of "loners" who have their own equally insane rules. It’s a movie that refuses to give the audience a win.
You’ll likely spend the last twenty minutes of the runtime—and the hour after it ends—trying to figure out if the ending is a romantic sacrifice or a final act of insanity. It’s the kind of film that lives in the "acquired taste" category. If you like your satire pitch-black and your comedies devoid of laughter, you’ve found your masterpiece. Otherwise, keep scrolling.
