Top 10 Reasons The Lighthouse Will TERRIFY You
#10: You’ve Never Seen Anything Like It
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Distributor A24 has become something of a beacon for filmmakers with ambitious visions and unique stories to tell. We can certainly see why the studio was drawn to Robert Eggers’ latest film, which appropriately sticks out like a lighthouse. The New York Post’s Sara Stewart wrote in her review, “It’s a rare pleasure to encounter a movie so genuinely strange you’re not sure how to define what you’ve just seen.” Indeed, to describe “The Lighthouse” as a ‘horror film’ would hardly do it justice. Even if certain motifs and themes may seem familiar, the movie more or less plunges its audience into uncharted territory. According to Kevin Maher of The Times (UK), “It has the feel of a newly discovered artefact from F.W Murnau,” the legendary German director.
#9: The Setting
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Although lighthouses are supposed to help guide ships to safety, the setting of this film is a beacon of insanity. Much like Hill House or the Bates Motel, the titular lighthouse emits such an eerie, sinister presence that it’s practically a character. Not since “Annihilation” has one appeared more alarming or mysterious. The production design is a masterpiece of gothic horror. As Variety’s Owen Gleiberman pointed out in his review, “the entire structure was built for the film, though you’d swear it’s an actual lighthouse that’s been around for 150 years.” As if the setting wasn’t already claustrophobic enough, the old-school 1.19:1 aspect ratio makes the audience feel as if they’re trapped in a padded cell with the walls of madness closing in.
#8: It Wears Its Influences on Its Sleeve
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While the film bears Eggers’ distinct signature, cinephiles will be able to pinpoint his creative influences. Eggers makes it no secret that he’s a fan of legendary Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. In addition to evoking his style, “The Lighthouse” touches upon many of the themes Bergman’s films explored - especially loneliness. Vice’s River Donaghey even said the film is “like Ingmar Bergman decided to direct the world's most messed up adaptation of ‘The Crucible’.” The film also possesses echoes of David Lynch, drawing comparison to surreal masterworks like “Eraserhead” and “Mulholland Drive.” Discussing “The Lighthouse,” “Hereditary” director Ari Aster favorably compared it to the works of Harold Pinter, who wrote the play “No Man’s Land” and adapted the psychological drama “The Servant” to the screen.
#7: It’s Surprisingly Funny
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Going into “The Lighthouse,” the audience won’t entirely know what to expect. Perhaps the biggest surprise is just how many laughs the film has. Between a scene involving a mermaid and fart jokes galore, this may be the weirdest and funniest art house picture since “Swiss Army Man.” Vanyaland’s Nick Johnston went as far to call the film “a pitch-black and often uproariously funny comedy,” adding, “It cannot be stressed just how wacky this incredibly goofy movie is, with Pattinson and Dafoe both playing into the patent ridiculousness of their characters and their individual variations on drunken madness.” Honestly, if you substituted Mark Korven’s chilling musical score with “The Odd Couple” theme, this could pass the most deranged sitcom ever produced.
#6: The Lovecraftian Horror Influence
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Mermaids aren’t the only mythical aquatic creatures that pop up in “The Lighthouse.” Just as our leads descend into the abyss of insanity, they become tangled in literal tentacles. Author H. P. Lovecraft seems to be more popular than ever nowadays and this film is crawling with his cosmic horror influence. Serena Fischer of Bloody Disgusting wrote, “The writers drew their inspiration from the works of Herman Melville and H.P. Lovecraft, and this becomes more and more apparent as the story progresses.” As is the case with many of Lovecraft’s stories, “The Lighthouse” is about the fear of the unknown. Will confronting the unknown swallow the characters whole or allow them to finally see the light? It’s an homage even Lovecraft himself might’ve appreciated.
#5: The Ending
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Whereas so many other films follow a standard formula, “The Lighthouse” refreshingly keep its audience guessing where exactly this bizarre story is going. In his Chicago Sun-Times review, Brian Tallerico stated “It has the feel of watching someone else’s nightmare, and it’s not one that’s going to end well...'' While we won’t delve into any spoilers, let’s just say this twisted tale climaxes with a shocking finale that’s perfectly in sync with the rest of the film. As The Star’s Peter Howell put it, “The result is a psychological nightmare that gnaws at the brain long after the disturbing final image assaults the retina.”
#4: It’s Genuinely Unsettling
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While Kyle Anderson of The Nerdist felt “The Lighthouse” wasn’t quite as scary as Eggers’ previous film, “The Witch”, he did say it “works on a much deeper, more psychologically upsetting level.” This is one of those movies that makes the audience part of the experience, as sheer lunacy oozes out of the screen and into the theater. Just as Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson’s characters find themselves losing their minds, filmgoers will begin to question their own sanity and just what the heck they’re watching, never sure who to fear most: Dafoe, Pattinson, or another force that’s creeping in. It’s that unknown element that makes “The Lighthouse” such a disturbing, yet engaging, trip.
#3: Robert Eggers’ Direction
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With his directorial debut, “The Witch”, Robert Eggers’ asserted himself as a filmmaker to watch. This chilling folktale earned Eggers two Independent Spirit Awards for Best First Screenplay and Best First Feature. Eggers’ follow-up film is already bringing him more accolades, including an International Federation of Film Critics prize at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. It’s not surprising that Eggers started out as a production designer; every inch of “The Lighthouse” is a visual tour de force. Of course, the look of the film is crucial to the haunting atmosphere and unnerving narrative Eggers weaves. To quote Joseph Walsh of Time Out: “‘The Lighthouse’ leaves you dazed, terrified and elated, and it signals Eggers as one of the most exciting directors working today.”
#2: The Cinematography
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Speaking of atmosphere . . . If there’s one category in which “The Lighthouse” is almost guaranteed to score an Oscar nomination, it’s Best Cinematography. You only need to look at a few stills from this movie to know that Eggers and cinematographer Jarin Blaschke have crafted an indisputable work of art. The filmmakers made the brilliant decision to film the picture in black-and-white, creating a grim, otherworldly locale where even the slightest glimmer of light is hard to come by. Michael Leader of Little White Lies praised the camerawork and lighting, stating “Jarin Blashcke lights interiors sparingly, leaving whole scenes in the island’s dingy cabin to play out in near darkness, all the better to accentuate the life-saving, life-giving glow that periodically illuminates the oppressive gloom.” The result is stunning.
#1: The Performances
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Willem Dafoe is a legend who only seems to grow better with age. And the impressive Robert Pattinson continues to evolve as an actor with every daring new role he takes on. “The Lighthouse” is essentially a two-man show, with both of these actors turning in arresting, distressing, and at times even hysterical performances. Both are fantastic individually with Dafoe inhabiting the persona of a salty seadog, with Pattinson earning comparison to Daniel Day-Lewis’ Oscar-winning work in “There Will Be Blood.” Together, these two make for 2019’s most fascinating screen duo, knocking back drinks one minute and nearly knocking each other out the next. Eric Kohn of IndieWire couldn’t have said it better: “It’s the best movie about bad roommates ever made.”
