In a dystopian future, single people in the City must find a match within 45 days lest they be turned into an animal of their choosing. If the worst occurs, David (Colin Farrell) favors a lobster for its long lifespan, virility and oceanic home.

Colin Farrell plays David in “The Lobster,” a film set in the future where people are turned into animals if they don’t find a romantic match. (photo courtesy of Picturehouse)

This shouldn’t be the takeaway from such an off-the-cuff film, but I can’t shake the idea that Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos (2009’s “Dogtooth”) stole the premise from an episode of “Friends” in which Phoebe claims Rachel is Ross’ lobster since those delicious shelled creatures lock claws with their partners and never let go. It’s hysterically ridiculous in the episode, making the notion that Lanthimos borrowed it to create a dark comedy less likely. But it would perfectly represent how wacky this entire experience is.

Welcome to “The Lobster,” the oddest film you’ll enjoy all year – and I do mean enjoy. Depending on your relationship status, it might be a horror story about modern day romance or a beacon of hope amid all too many contrived attempts at happily ever after. Either way, I don’t imagine Lanthimos or co-writer Efthymis Filippou are fans of speed dating, singles cruises, eHarmony and the like.

Did you ever have a friend who jumped from relationship to relationship? A serial monogamy that screamed, “I can’t be alone.” In the City, only coupling matters. When David’s wife bales on their relationship, our potbellied Irishman takes up residence in the Hotel, where he must find a mate or be transformed into a creature after the allotted time.

The goal is to find a kindred spirit, someone who shares one notable quality with you, hence the unique names of every character in the film. Or in the case of Limping Man (Ben Whishaw) – no one else had a limb, only a sprained ankle, so no love connection there – you can just create your own nose bleeds to land Nosebleed Woman (Jessica Barden).

Everything at the Hotel is designed to reinforce a single idea: two is better than one. In a skit, performed by the staff, people living on their own all choke on food and die; couples can save each other from oversized cuts of meat. Meat, I assume, was once some poor sap who talked about his coin collection too much and never found true love.

Driving this point home, all the residents enjoy a special hobby – hunting in the wilderness for Loners, outcasts who prefer to remain celibate and live in the woods off the grid.

Eventually, David realizes the Hotel is not for him, so he flees to the Loners. Here he must decide if life without companionship is any better than being forced into a union. Of course, Short Sighted Woman (Rachel Weisz), our splendid narrator throughout, challenges David’s resolve. They are both short sighted after all. Scandal indeed.

Without Aldous Huxley’s “A Brave New World,” a film like “The Lobster” wouldn’t exist. This isn’t replication but a similar kind of exaggeration. Instead of a future where everyone becomes numb to what they love, hence they love nothing, The City survives because love is an obligation, a necessary factor in a stable economy. Yes, Lanthimos works in a few jabs at capitalism and the neutral family too.

But what happens when you truly find love? “The Lobster” doesn’t do away with the concept altogether. It simply highlights the rarity of something pure, authentic. And if it does exist, a new problem emerges, how to hold onto it, especially when people like Lone Leader (Léa Seydoux) seek to prevent it.

Farrell’s David seems terribly unqualified to encounter any of this. He’s the kind of awkward person who eventually demands his victims put the lotion back in the basket. But everyone’s off in this future. Love might make you crazy, but turning such an intimate act – choosing a mate – into a requirement dulls the senses like a job you hate. Farrell’s performance captures the true horror in too many homes around the world. People forget how to be human when they ignore passion, jealousy, lust and all those unsavory words.

“The Lobster” is a triumph for both the incredible performance by Farrell and the originality of the plotline. It’s the kind of story that just might make you pause the next time you peer pressure the Loners in your life to put themselves out there more. Or maybe you’re just a terrible person and see this as a cautionary tale: get married or literally become an animal.