Review: The Lighthouse

The Lighthouse is a hypnotic film that dives deep into the depths of madness. I can easily say The Lighthouse is a Gothic masterpiece. One of the very best of 2019.

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𝑊ℎ𝑦’𝑑 𝑦’𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑦𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑠?

Actors Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson give us mesmerizing performances in one of the best films of 2019. This black-and-white gem was shot on 35mm film and presented in a 1.19:1 aspect ratio. Director Robert Eggers’ (The Witch) haunting movie will send chills down your spine. On top of the grand cinematography, we get an eerie score to add to the suspense. The Lighthouse is a psychological horror film directed and produced by Robert Eggers, who also co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Max Eggers. The film follows two lighthouse keepers (Dafoe and Pattinson) who start to lose their sanity when a storm strands them on the remote island on which they are stationed.

Dafoe and Pattinson both deserve to be nominated for an Oscar because their performances were sheer perfection. Pattinson was just nominated for Best Actor for the Film Independent Spirit Awards. While Dafoe was nominated for Best Supporting Actor. Fingers crossed they can both steal these two awards. Overall, the film received 5 Spirit Awards including Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing. You could feel the madness boiling up inside Dafoe and Pattinson as time went on. The movie, as a whole, was an eerie black-and-white thriller — from the aspect ratio to the captivating cinematography, to the haunting score, everything was masterfully crafted by Eggers. The Lighthouse gets under your skin and seeps into your bones. There's no shaking this film. Eggers' film was also shot entirely in black-and-white, which makes the movie all the more authentic. I would love to see The Lighthouse get some Oscar love, but sadly I feel like this movie is way too edgy for the Academy.

It would be a very weird film for the Academy to embrace. From the sex with mermaids to getting buried alive to the killing a seagull with their bare hands — this is a hard movie to fully grasp. "Say, why is it bad luck to kill a gull?" "In them’s the souls of sailors what met their maker." Nevertheless, this is the underlying magic from Eggers and his boldness to produce hard and scathing pictures. The Lighthouse was also incredibly witty. I laughed a lot during the scene where Dafoe got mad at Pattinson for not liking his cooking. "You’re fond of me lobster, aint’ ye?" Then, Dafoe stands up and curses Pattinson for not liking his Lobster. It's a hilarious scene and one that's also thought-provoking. The Lighthouse also had a lot of symbolism sprinkled in throughout. I feel like I need to re-watch it again to fully dissect it. Eggers integrated old folk tales and Greek mythology into his story; some have even suggested that the physical Lighthouse represents 'heaven', Dafoe represents 'god' and Pattinson represents a 'sinner'. Overall, this is a picture not for the faint of heart, but one I still highly recommend. It receives five-stars from me. This Gothic masterpiece will leave an impression on your very soul.

The Lighthouse is rated R (Restricted). For sexual content, nudity, violence, disturbing images, and some language.

Directed by Robert Eggers

Starring Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson.