Worth: $15.00
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Cast:
Robert Pattison, Willem Dafoe, Valeriia Karaman, Logan Hawkes
Intro:
If you’re up for some weird, dense, symbolist gear, then The Lighthouse might just be the beacon in the darkness you’ve been searching for.
Director Robert Eggers made a startling and original feature film debut with 2015’s The Witch. Shot using natural light for exteriors and only candlelight for interiors, it also featured era-appropriate dialogue and didn’t seem to particularly care if audiences were on board with its subtle, slowburn shenanigans. The film was a modest success, not to mention critically beloved, and there was a good deal of excitement regarding Eggers’ sophomore film. Would the 36-year-old production designer turned director continue to defy the Hollywood establishment or would he suckle at the commercial teat and knock out a remake of some ’80s horror property? Well, The Lighthouse is here and, lordy, if anything it makes The Witch appear downright mainstream!
The Lighthouse tells the tale of Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson) who is sent to work as a wickie (or lighthouse keeper) on the isolated coast of New England, with salty sea dog Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe). And that’s… about it in terms of narrative drive. What starts off as a slow character drama soon morphs into something far stranger, and more interesting, dealing with themes of memory, loss, loneliness, identity and even otherworldly horror, but in many ways this is a film that defies easy summary.
Shot in moody black and white, in the claustrophobic 1.19:1 ratio, it’s a film that constantly keeps the audience on the backfoot, never offering easy answers or even definitive conclusions. Suffice to say, this is a film that very much will not be everybody. Willem Dafoe’s performance is glorious as the mad Thomas, but Pattinson also impresses, bringing a sort of wounded vulnerability to a role that could have easily been overshadowed by his iconic co-star. Eggers’ direction is stylish and nuanced, with some unforgettable sequences, particularly in the third act, and the dense symbolism of the film’s conclusion will likely be debated online until the heat death of the universe.
So, will The Lighthouse be for you? Well, if you found The Witch to be a slog, then absolutely not. This is stagey, obtuse, deliberate filmmaking and frankly in terms of wider audience appreciation it makes The Witch look like The Avengers! If, however, you’re up for some weird, dense, symbolist gear, then The Lighthouse might just be the beacon in the darkness you’ve been searching for.