The Lobster · written by Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou · 2015

The Maid gives David twelve replacement darts and makes him endure the hotel’s forced sexual therapy before leaving him desperate.

Scene 41 of 123 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act two

Maid
David

Act oneAct two

Begins 32 min into a 1:28 film

The story so farBefore scene 41

After his wife leaves him, David has 45 days to find a partner at a hotel or become an animal; he escapes, falls for a shortsighted loner, and must decide whether to surrender his sight so they can stay together.

Scenes 1–15
David moves from his broken home into the hotel, where couplehood is imposed as the norm.
Scenes 16–24
He must find a partner before the 45-day limit turns him into an animal.
Scene 25
David loads a tranquilliser gun and joins the hotel’s hunt, entering its violent courtship system.
Just before
Scene 38
Lisping Man captures a loner woman with a matching lisp and admires her unconscious face.
Scene 39
Lisping Man tells David the captured woman is a perfect match; David repeats an unconvincing reassurance.
Scene 40
Lisping Man says he agreed to have his captive turned into a parrot and shows her feathers; after Limping Man punches him, the trainer tells David to shoot loners through the heart.
Scene 41
This scene

41INT. ROOM 101 - MORNING

There’s a knock on the door and the Maid enters. She makes the bed. David watches her every move. He seems on edge. He keeps out of her way while she does what she has to do.

MAID

How many darts did you use

yesterday?

DAVID

Twelve.

The Maid leaves twelve tranquilliser darts on the bedside table. She notes something down in a folder.

MAID

Please take off your trousers and

sit on the bed.

DAVID

Can we not do this today? It’s

awful.

MAID

I know. But I’m afraid we have to

do it. And you have no idea how

much it helps you psychologically

in your search for a partner.

David takes off his trousers and sits on the edge of the bed. The Maid sits in his lap and jiggles about. She reaches down to grab his cock every so often. David looks like he is enjoying it against his will. He closes his eyes and lays back. Suddenly she gets up.

MAID (CONT’D)

Today you became erect quicker than

on other days. That’s good. Have a

nice day.

DAVID

Please, just a little bit longer.

The Maid takes her trolley and leaves. David gets up and runs after the maid. He’s pathetic and desperate.

DAVID (CONT’D)

That’s awful. Just awful.