This macabre drama about a hotel where single people must find a mate or be turned into a wild animal starts hilariously but loses its bite when the action moves outdoors The tyranny of coupledom and the oppression of singledom, like neighbouring police states, are the subject of this intriguing, flawed film. It is the English-language debut from Yorgos Lanthimos, standard bearer for the new Greek wave, co-written with his longtime collaborator Efthymis Filippou: a macabre, absurdist satire in their unmistakable, self-aware style. This is custom-built for the cognoscenti cinephile audiences who duly adore it, and it really is enthralling and funny a lot of the time. Yet, both times I’ve seen The Lobster, my muscles ached with the sheer effort of trying to love it as much as I was supposed to. Related: Yorgos Lanthimos: reality TV flavoured The Lobster Continue reading...