It’s only a few days into Cannes Film Festival, but one of our early favorites thus far has been Yorgos Lanthimos‘ Kubrickian, uproarious drama The Lobster. Toplined by Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Ben Whishaw and John C. Reilly, it follows the peculiarly fascinating story in which singledom is banned and people are forced to find a match within 45 days or they turned into the animal of their choice.
We said in our review, “In this first half, The Lobster closely resembles Dogtooth and Lanthimos again exhibits his aptitude for creating insular, ruthlessly regimented microcosms through which to unleash his scathing satire. Unlike that of its predecessor, however, the attributes of this warped world are immediately familiar, even relatable. As a result, the director’s trademark deadpan humor is no longer simply droll, but uproarious – and also inescapably implicating. Lanthimos and his DP, Thimios Bakatakis (with whom he collaborated on Dogtooth and its predecessor Kinetta), render the hotel in a manner reminiscent of The Shining. Both the carpeted, symmetrically framed corridors as well as the stately exteriors, perched atop an imposing cliff, recall the Overlook Hotel, an impression reinforced through the distinctly Kubrickian soundtrack. This dimension adds a touch of horror and mounting dread, which is punctuated by outbursts of extreme violence, nicely complementing the acerbic comicality.”
For those greatly awaiting the film, we now have the first pair of full clips, one featuring our trio of male leads getting into a quarrel while the other finds Farrell and Weisz’s character coming up with a code in the woods. Check out the compelling previews below, along with the full Cannes press conference and return for more coverage from the festival.
A love story set in the near future where single people, according to the rules of The City, are arrested and transferred to The Hotel. There they are obliged to find a matching mate in 45 days. If they fail, they are transformed into an animal of their choosing and released into The Woods. A desperate Man escapes from The Hotel to The Woods where The Loners live and falls in love, although it is against their rules.
The Lobster premiered at Cannes and is seeking U.S. distribution.