Review of The Lighthouse (2019) by Sierra-117 — 01 Feb 2020

The lighthouse, Robert Eggers most recent claustrophobic horror/psychological thriller is finally out in the UK, and by god is it a sight to behold. Set on a remote lighthouse island (obviously), the plot revolves around a young man (Robert Pattinson) trying to keep his sanity whilst working a four week shift with his extremely unlikeable superior (Willem Dafoe). If you know me well at all you’ll know that I am particularly fond of the psychedelic drama ‘Donnie Darko’ due to its weird and at times disturbing nature, but Donnie Darko doesn’t even come close to being as strange and twisted as this film. As soon as the lighthouse begins the insanely heavy focus on sound design comes in to play and we hear a loud and quite uncomfortable noise, which after being played countless times, gradually blends into the atmosphere. For this reason (amongst others) I think it is worth mentioning that the lighthouse is a very cinematic experience and should be treated as such. I have little doubt that once the film leaves cinemas it will never be experienced in the same way again, so I absolutely recommend that you go out and watch it soon. The sound emitted from the speakers is often so intense that you’ll feel the entire room vibrating, which isn’t helped by Mark Korven’s discomforting score which perfectly accompanies the feeling of suspense present throughout the movie. With all of this chaos surrounding the two central characters, it becomes apparent that the performances of the protagonists will either make or break the experience on the whole. Fortunately both Pattinson and Dafoe are phenomenal, giving outstanding performances that to my knowledge are the greatest of either actor’s career. Where Pattinson does an outstanding job of portraying a realistic and unsettling descent into madness, Dafoe gives a terrifying impersonation of a cruel, superstitious man who has lived away from society for a large portion of his life. I finally understand the large number of individuals who claim that they were both robbed of Oscar nominations. Which brings me to my final topic, the screenplay and the plot in general.

Each scene has a specific dynamic which is intended to allow a contrast between the moments in which Pattinson is alone, and when he is spending time with Dafoe. In the instances where the young man is in solitude, Eggers allows the tension to build up with the atmosphere at its peak, however when both him and Dafoe are together most of this is gone in order to allow the two fantastic actors to improvise and show off the extent of their brilliance. This format remains apparent, until the final act of the film in which a shocking and sinister finale combines both of the former elements. By the time it was over, I was completely speechless about the phenomenon I had just witnessed, and remained so for hours to come. The lighthouse is a masterpiece however you look at it, but it also shouldn’t be taken lightly. It is certainly not for the faint of heart, as together with its disturbing atmosphere and the amazing performances of each member of the cast, it is uncomfortable and twisted film that in my opinion definitely would’ve deserved a best picture nomination.