Review of 'The Lighthouse'

In this black and white film, two lighthouse keepers begin their four week stint at a remote lighthouse in New England. The old hand Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe) and the newcomer Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson). Wake is obsessed with the light of the lighthouse, not allowing Winslow near while Winslow is given all of the physically taxing jobs while being accosted by both Wake and an overly aggressive seagull. The tension between the two men grows over the weeks they spend together. Winslow begins to have visions of a mermaid and as the weather gets rough both men's grasp on reality begins to fail…

A very “arty” film that I have to admit never really engaged me. It is more out of curiosity as to how it all turns out that I continued watching. The period bursts of personal and visceral violence are quite disturbing putting me off more than engaging my imagination. The two men are not exactly warm human beings though they both have secrets which helped keep me watching with something of a surprise reveal at the end (along with loads more violence, of course). The dialogue is minimal, utilitarian at best with the actions of the men speaking more loudly. I have to admit the cinematography is great - It really looks quite amazing and harkens back to classics from the 1930s and 40s, evoking a haunted and suspenseful atmosphere complete with somewhat basic, often unconvincing, special effects. Despite this, I just didn't like anyone in the film which makes it quite tedious to watch despite it's relatively short run time.

Pretentious and boring with unlikeable characters and brutal violence.

Rating: “Average, but who wants to be average?”

Review Date: 2021-11-06

Directed by: Robert Eggers

Studio: A24

Year: 2019

Length: 99 minutes

Genre: Horror

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7984734/