Olivia Colman’s “brilliant” dark comedy that’s ‘unlike anything you’ve seen’ is streaming for free

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Yorgos Lanthimos’s 2015 film, The Lobster, presents a darkly funny and unsettling idea: if you don’t find a partner within 45 days, you’re turned into an animal. It’s a movie that will likely make you feel exhausted just thinking about dating.

I’m so excited – that amazing dark comedy with Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, and Olivia Colman is now free to stream in the UK! Seriously, it’s brilliant and perfect for a movie night, whether you’re with someone special or just enjoying some alone time.

The film, written by Yorgos Lanthimos and his long-time writing partner Efthimis Filippou (who were both Oscar-nominated for Best Original Screenplay), centers on David (Colin Farrell). He checks into a hotel with a strange rule: guests have 45 days to find a romantic partner, or they’ll be turned into the animal they choose.

Colman portrays the hotel’s strict manager, and Weisz both narrates the story and plays a solitary woman who begins a forbidden love affair with David.

The Lobster was director Yorgos Lanthimos’s first film originally made in English. It also began his working relationship with Olivia Colman and Rachel Weisz, who later starred together in his 2018 film, The Favourite. Colin Farrell and Lanthimos continued their collaboration after The Lobster, with Farrell appearing in Lanthimos’s 2017 film, The Killing of a Sacred Deer.

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Who stars in The Lobster?

Here is The Lobster‘s full cast list:

The film features Colin Farrell as David, Rachel Weisz in a dual role as both a short-sighted woman and the narrator, and Léa Seydoux as the leader of a solitary group. Ariane Labed plays the maid, while Ben Whishaw portrays John, a man with a limp. Angeliki Papoulia plays a cruel woman, and John C. Reilly is Robert, a man who lisps. Jessica Barden appears as the nosebleed woman, Olivia Colman as the hotel manager, and Stavroula Karalidou as Bob the Dog. Ashley Jensen plays the biscuit woman, Michael Smiley is the loner swimmer, Roger Ashton-Griffiths is the doctor, Seán Duggan plays a guard waiter, and Ewen MacIntosh is a hotel guard.

What did critics say about The Lobster?

The 2015 Cannes Film Festival awarded The Lobster its Jury Prize, and the film was highly praised by critics. It currently has an 87% ‘Fresh’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the same score as director Yorgos Lanthimos’s more recent film, Bugonia.

Okay, so everyone’s saying The Lobster is seriously unlike anything I’ve ever played… I mean, seen. It’s apparently really dark and kind of brutal, and it just proves that the director, Lanthimos, is a master of making unsettling films. It’s not exactly a feel-good movie, that’s for sure!

The Globe and Mail praised the film as a brilliant satire, but felt it lost its way when it shifted into a more typical romantic storyline.

Salon.com called the movie a powerfully disturbing and impressive work that examines what happens when people base their self-worth on being in a relationship.

Where can I watch The Lobster?

If you weren’t discouraged by the film’s dark themes, you can now watch it for free on Channel 4’s streaming service, where it became available after its broadcast on Film4 last night.

The Lobster is also available to rent and buy from a number of digital retailers in the UK.

Other Olivia Colman films you can stream right now

In need of another Colman fix after watching The Lobster? We’ve got you covered.

Olivia Colman’s Academy Award-winning performance in The Favourite, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, is now streaming on Disney+ in the UK. Also available on the platform is The Roses, a comedy starring Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch, which is based on the 1981 novel The War of the Roses. The novel was previously adapted into a 1989 film with the same title.

Maggie Gyllenhaal’s first time directing a movie, The Lost Daughter, is now available on Netflix. The film features Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson, and Paul Mescal in the cast.

The Lobster is streaming on Channel 4.

Seriously, if you’re like me and spend way too much time trying to figure out where to watch your favorite shows and movies, you NEED to check out their Streaming Guide. It lays everything out super easily, so you can skip the searching and get straight to watching!

The latest issue of Living Legends, a special collector’s edition about the royal family, is now available! You can find it in newsagents or purchase it online.

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2026-05-21 21:20