The Lobster

The English-language debut of Greek auteur Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite, Poor Things) is a chilly, incisive mash-up of sci-fi, satire and screwball comedy. In a near future where singledom is outlawed, recently dumped David (Colin Farrell) arrives at a hotel where he must find a romantic partner within 45 days or be painfully transformed into an animal of his choosing. Later, he escapes and joins a band of forest-dwelling dissidents who have made all affection punishable by mutilation - which becomes a problem when David falls for one of their number (Rachel Weisz). Lanthimos and regular co-writer Efthimis Filippou pack their Oscar-nominated screenplay with surreal wit and shocking moments, beautifully delivered by a star-studded cast that includes Ben Whishaw, Léa Seydoux and Olivia Colman. The film's excessively stilted tone may prove trying for some viewers, but as it moves into its darker and more challenging second half Lanthimos skilfully teases out some remarkably affecting moments. Whatever specific satirical targets the film-makers have in mind are perhaps a bit oblique, but as a tragicomic study in the mechanics of love, it's an undeniably thoughtful and often potent piece of work.