The Lobster 2015

Non spoiler thoughts (summary): I experience this as a dark, absurd comedy that uses exaggerated rules about relationships to poke fun at social pressure and conformity. It’s funny, uncomfortable, and intentionally weird, turning the idea of love and companionship into something mechanical and unsettling. ⚠️ Spoilers ahead. From here on, plot details are discussed. Read on if you’ve seen the film. If not, save this post and come back after. ⚠️ The film feels like a dark comedy right from the start, with absurd lines of questioning delivered in a serious tone, filled with awkward pauses. I see this as social commentary on being single and how people will go to extreme lengths, even hurting themselves, just to be accepted and find companionship or a perfect match based on similarities. It exaggerates the pressure to pair up in such a bizarre way that it becomes both hilarious and uncomfortable. Lalo na yung pinipilit ni "The Limping Man" na magnosebleed sya. I also read the hotel system as a twisted presentation of the supposed benefits of having a partner. The staff act like guides trying to convince everyone that life is automatically better when you’re not alone. It even touches briefly on ideas like non masturbation and premarital sex. I don’t know if that’s just my interpretation or if the director intentionally wanted to plant that thought in the audience. As someone who leans a bit conservative, I don’t see it as mind conditioning, but I can imagine more liberated viewers finding those elements cringey. What makes it funnier is how nonchalant and emotionally flat the characters are, even during sex. Their lack of reaction amplifies the absurdity. I laughed so hard at the scene where David kicked a child just so she could have a limp like his friend. If the hotel scenes already feel weird, the story shifting into the forest pushes the absurdity even further. I sensed early on that the tables would turn when they started hunting loners. Eventually, the hunter becomes the hunted. I also interpret the Loners as a kind of commentary on resistance to social norms. They feel like rebels pushing back against the ideology of marriage and traditional family structure. I’m not sure if activism is the perfect word, but their anti relationship rules mirror the hotel’s strict pro relationship stance. And then there’s the literal punchline of the film. Love is blind, so they blinded themselves. It’s such a dark, silly joke taken to its most extreme conclusion, and it perfectly captures the film’s tone.