A wonderfully quirky film which fails to deliver

Rating: 2/10 (19 June 2016)

The Lobster is an interesting and very different film, which is definitely worth watching assuming you want to spend two hours watching dark comedy, cruelty and painful silences without the annoyance of being forced to follow a plot or hope for character development or understandable motivations.
"In a world where people are turned to Animals if they fail to find a mate" is the underlying premise this "story" takes place in, but the meaning of that transformation, or how it works into the world is never explained. It is a potentially interesting concept, which is completely and totally ignored in exchange for the director's obsession with pseudo-torture porn and a genuine misunderstanding on the nature of human relationships and friendships. It makes me as a viewer wonder if the director understands human interactions at all. In fact in every major way that one can judge a story, the movie fails horribly.
Consistent or discernible Plot: There is not a coherent plot or story arc to this movie. While it does follow the "story" of Colin Ferrell (who does put on a powerful performance), there is no real arc to his story. Things (mostly painful and unnecessary things) just seem to happen to the characters, and often you find yourself as a viewer wondering whether the director had any intention other than just being shocking.
Character Development: Don't hold your breath if you are looking to see anything resembling that. He starts miserable, and remains miserable. His character isn't likable or empathetic, but just desperate and lonely. There are no characters in this movie as a viewer I found myself empathizing with, and the only characters who are actually likable in the movie are subjected to outrageously cruel treatment.
An understandable message: Leaving the theater after watching this movie I was left with two distinct thoughts "Why did I just do that to myself?" and "Did the director even know what they were trying to do?" If the director had intended to pass some message or moral on to their audience they failed in every regard. The premise is never explained or explored, the characters don't grow they simply act, the world is shallow and impossible. I came out just hating every character in the movie except for John C Reilly's, not because the actors failed to act well, but because their character's had no determinable motivations and every choice they make is baffling.
This movie would have been much better, had it been a 25 minute short film without the minutes of dead silence, and the gratuitous violence.