There are three main worlds depicted in The Lobster...there is the world of the coupled, the world of the actively seeking, and the world of the ideologically single. Each of these worlds is absurd. The premise of the film is based around the world of dating, the notion that if you aren't coupled, you will be turned into an animal after a final attempt. My animal is apparently an
ant. But the film also hits out against the world of the paired and the people who make being unpaired a political statement. As someone who is seeking but single, the film had plenty of satire that hit very close to home. And I'm sad to say, like him I could see myself drawn to the youngest/prettiest women in this hotel for single people, and I could see them choosing the endgame (being turned into an animal) over the prospect of a relationship with me. So there is kind of a hard truth about this film. Maybe I'd even be heartless enough (or attracted enough to short-haired women) to follow in David's (Colin Farrell) path.
The satire of this film is biting, but feels accurate. There is an overwhelming pressure to become coupled, especially as you age. There is a dogmatism to those who, wether by actual nature or by protective cynicism, opt against the idea of romantic bonding. There is a whole world of people who have found lasting romantic pairing, and it all feels foreign to those who haven't found it.
My big complaint about The Lobster is how early it switches over to David being in the world of the committed singles, because that world I found so much less vibrant than the hotel of the dating. Sure, I know some people for whom falling into a relationship would be met with disdain, but that isn't as interesting a place as the seekers, and it slows down significantly in the effort.
But so much is relatable. I see the people who feel that having the same hobbies makes them perfect, even as there are so many warning signs. Opposites attract may be a simple concept, but being alike may be equally overrated.