13 Strange Movies Like The Lobster You Need to Watch

If movies like The Lobster captured your imagination with their surreal worlds and biting social critique, you’re in the right place.

We’ve curated a list for film lovers who seek independent stories beyond Hollywood’s formula—films known for originality, dark humor, and a willingness to break narrative rules.

Explore distinct voices that challenge expectations, celebrate the unconventional, and represent the unique spirit that sets indie cinema apart.

1. Dogtooth

Raw, surreal, and unflinching, Dogtooth is the benchmark for unsettling independent cinema like The Lobster. This Greek drama, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (a name indie fans recognize instantly), pulls you into a family fortress where three adult children live in complete isolation—repressed, conditioned, and subject to the parents’ absurd rules.

What sets Dogtooth apart—and why it matters for lovers of unique films:

• The film won Cannes’ Prix Un Certain Regard and broke into Oscar territory, proving that experimental narratives can dominate global conversation.

• Critics dissect its power imbalance, deadpan delivery, and minimalist sets as leadership moments in the international “Greek Weird Wave."

• Compelling for those who crave films that twist real emotions through a lens of control, rebellion, and satire.

• Dogtooth’s routines may shock, but they force you to challenge what boundaries and rebellion actually mean.

If movies that favor raw experience over comfort are your thing, Dogtooth rewards you. It builds unease with everything it doesn’t say, not just what’s on screen.

All boundaries in storytelling can—and should—be questioned if you want honest cinema.

2. The Killing of a Sacred Deer

Sticking with Lanthimos opens the door to The Killing of a Sacred Deer—a clinical, chilling dive into guilt and consequence. You’re given a surgeon, a mysterious teenage boy, and an atmosphere pulsing with dread. This isn’t safe, predictable drama. It’s nerve-wracking.

Why It Resonates

• Awarded Best Screenplay at Cannes, it thrives on unsettling dialogue, blunt humor, and uncomfortable choices—the things you expect from the best indie thrillers.

• Its narrative calls out Greek myth, paralleling ancient sacrifice with modern morality.

• Best fit for viewers ready to watch every value and loyalty put to the test in scenes that refuse easy answers.

When you want your films to test ethics, structure, and your own nerves, add this one to your queue.

3. Frank

Frank keeps the indie spirit alive with a head-turning hook: a mysterious musician leads his band while wearing a giant papier-mâché head. It sounds absurd, but this offbeat black comedy wins because it finds truth in chaos.

• Premiered at Sundance and immediately crashed expectations with Michael Fassbender’s dedicated work behind the mask.

• Real emotional punch hides behind the weirdness; critics and fans honor Frank for its take on creativity and the struggle to belong.

• Draws on the outsider’s view of art, offering a rare case study in how unconventional films can still pack heart and hope.

Best for those who believe that the most authentic voices are the strangest ones—and you don’t need formula to feel something real.

4. On Body and Soul

On Body and Soul stands out as a dreamlike Hungarian drama—two slaughterhouse workers, one shared dream world as deer. Ethereal, intense, and gentle all at once, it scooped Berlin’s Golden Bear and an Oscar nomination.

• Praised for blending concrete pain (the workplace) with soft, haunting visuals and tenderness few films dare.

• Studies highlight how it fuses brutality and romance, using animal imagery and silent longing to show emotional longing.

• Viewers tired of obvious scripts will love these authentic, unconventional connections—where words often fail.

If you value magic in the mundane, and you root for unlikely relationships, this film belongs on your shelf.

5. The Skin I Live In

Push your expectations with The Skin I Live In. Pedro Almodóvar crafts a haunting, vivid thriller featuring Antonio Banderas as a surgeon obsessed with transformation. This is meticulous, morbid, and brave.

What Makes It Essential

• Blends horror and melodrama with taboo-breaking twists—narrative moves few directors risk.

• Won a BAFTA, gained global headlines, and remains a case study in reshaping gender identity and medical ethics on film.

• Scene design and morally ambiguous characters push you to re-examine every assumption.

Seeking films that cross uncomfortable boundaries and spark debate? This is your match.

6. Ex Machina

If you value cerebral sci-fi as much as emotional weirdness, Ex Machina is a minimalist masterclass. Alex Garland delivers an A.I. tale—and every question it raises will stick with you long after.

• Oscar-winner for Visual Effects, but what keeps indie fans locked in is its tight, gripping three-actor setup.

• The film’s Turing Test becomes a real test of empathy—who’s real, who’s a puppet, who’s the manipulator?

• The conversation extends beyond story to visual style, gender, and surveillance.

Here’s one for the thinkers—a film that rewards detail-spotting and deep discussion.

7. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Want heartbreak with your mind-bending cinema? Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind features memory, love, and regret, all wrapped up in a structure that refuses to play nice. Directed by Michel Gondry and written by Charlie Kaufman, this film redefines how stories about relationships unfold.

• Academy Award winner for Best Screenplay—proof that even the oddest concepts can land with power.

• Known for nonlinear storytelling, practical visual effects, and honest vulnerability that cut through any artifice.

Fans craving existential questions about fate and the urge to rewrite our own stories need this film.

Eternal Sunshine shows: great movies don’t comfort—you want them to change you.

8. Her

Technology, loneliness, and longing—Her finds the tenderness in digital intimacy. Spike Jonze directs Joaquin Phoenix as a man who falls hard for his AI operating system, sparking a truly modern romance.

• Won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay through its blend of philosophical questions and simple, relatable desires.

• Critics rave about its warm visuals and emotional nuance, focusing on how digital connections re-shape what intimacy looks like.

• Best for indie film fans eager to confront the meaning of connection in a hyper-connected world.

When you chase films that reflect today’s reality while challenging your sense of self, Her belongs on your list.

9. Lars and the Real Girl

Lars and the Real Girl is gentle, but never soft-headed. Ryan Gosling plays a lonely man who builds a relationship with a life-sized doll—drawing his entire small town into a lesson on empathy.

• Gosling’s turn earned a Golden Globe nomination—clear evidence that quiet, offbeat stories have the power to move.

• Used in narrative therapy circles as a practical example of how community and kindness transform isolation.

• Perfect for those who want warmth, humor, and dignity in the face of unconventional love.

Fans of The Lobster’s outsider perspective will find Lars both relatable and restorative.

10. Battle Royale

Need something intense? Battle Royale explodes conformity in the most literal sense. Japanese schoolchildren are forced by a totalitarian government into a fight for survival.

• This cult classic influenced everything from The Hunger Games to the modern “battle royale” gaming genre. It brings urgent, raw commentary on authoritarian control and society’s limits.

• Academic journals use it to dissect the relationship between state power and personal agency.

• Go for this one if you demand sharp satire with real-world bite.

Challenge what rules should stay standing—Battle Royale won’t let you look away.

11. They Live

John Carpenter’s They Live puts you in the shoes of a drifter with sunglasses that reveal a world run by hidden puppet-masters. The more you watch, the more you question everything.

• Iconic visuals (OBEY, CONSUME) made it a cultural reference, shaping debates about propaganda and mass media since the 1980s.

• Critics praise its social satire tucked under genre thrills and memorable scenes.

They Live is for those who love to decode cinema’s messages, hunting for truth behind the curtain.

Seek indie films that dare to call out the world around you—don’t settle for passive viewing.

12. Gummo

Harmony Korine’s Gummo is unapologetic—chaotic, raw, and painfully honest. Set in the ruins of a tornado-struck town, it follows outcasts and outsiders through fragments of daily life.

• Cited in film studies for its authenticity and refusal to follow traditional narrative rules.

• Praised for letting non-actors and local music define its world, elevating the feel of “outsider art.”

• Ideal for indie purists who want art that punches right through the noise—unpolished and unforgettable.

When you crave something that rattles your sense of story, Gummo delivers.

13. Donnie Darko

Donnie Darko gives you suburban angst with a twist: time loops, a doomsday clock, and an unforgettable rabbit suit. It’s puzzle-rich and philosophically charged—perfect for cinephiles hunting depth.

• Built a cult legacy from its ambiguous storylines, earning academic and fan theories exploring fate, free will, and existential dread.

• Topped off with one of the most haunting soundtracks in indie film.

If strange tales and sharp emotional edges are your thing, Donnie Darko is your next must-watch.

Finding Your Next Indie Gem

Choosing movies like The Lobster means saying yes to risk, surprise, and honesty in storytelling. We see you—the audience who craves challenge, not comfort.

Quick Action Steps for Finding More

• Check film fest listings: Berlin, Sundance, or Cannes—seek out the movies you won’t find in wide release.

• Investigate director catalogs—follow voices you love across countries and genres.

• Dive deep into interviews and critical essays to uncover new layers of meaning.

• Scan for themes: social satire, dystopia, non-traditional relationships, emotional rawness.

• Join online film forums or discussion groups for personal recommendations from other cinephiles.

When you crave more than mainstream offers, these steps put you on the scent of something special.

Don’t wait for art to come to you—go out, dig in, and make the strange familiar.

Conclusion

Independent cinema doesn’t just open your mind—it transforms your world. Each film above insists on fresh vision, brave risk, and the chance to see differently.

Stick with the unconventional, the inventive, and the raw. The next great indie film experience—one that might become your favorite—is just a click, a screening, or a festival away. Keep searching. Keep questioning.

That’s how bold audiences like you shape the new era of independent storytelling.