User reviews

"The Lighthouse" is one of the strangest films I've ever seen. Describing it or even knowing whether or not I liked it is pretty difficult. Suffice to say, it was is a very, very unique movie...one that is quite haunting and difficult.

The story is set in the late 19th century and a lighthouse keeper (Willem Dafoe) and his assistant (Rob Pattinson) arrive at the facility for their tour of duty. At first, things seem pretty mundane, though over time they both seem to be losing their minds...Pattinson's character in particular. Where it goes from there is ugly, disturbing and weird.

This is definitely NOT a film for everyone. In fact, I'd go so far as to say most people probably would not like the film....and fewer yet would really enjoy it. But it also is a wholly original viewing experience and I can respect the folks who made it. The acting is good....and it feels much like peeking inside the mind of a madman. Overall, not enjoyable but also pretty amazing.

This is precisely the type of film that will garner equal amounts of unbridled praise by the arthouse diehards, as well as criticism (and likely rejection) from a lot of other viewers. My opinion lies somewhere in the middle. I give it 6 stars for the undeniably outstanding acting (obviously, Dafoe)... and Pattinson is very impressive. Something new, yes. Effective at mood-setting, check. The b&w filming, the shots, the scenery itself... even the set, the old dilapidated coastal shack, all excellent. The dynamic between the two characters is raw and real. Is it a thought-provoking free-fall into insanity? Maybe. But... there is a such a fine line between "arthouse", trying something different, leaving much up to subjectivity and imagination, and... just trying a bit too hard. Mermaid labia? Hmmm. But, if part of the definition of a cinematic "success" is evoking emotion, then mission accomplished. Total despair, pity, fear, disgust, and a general feeling of creepery, all there.

For much of The Lighthouse, I was not wholly sure what was going on, which I guess is deliberate as it is never quite clear what is what. What is consistent though is the sense of dread and claustrophobia that comes from the limits of the location and the fear of this unknown threat - whatever it may be. This is not quite good enough to carry the film for its full 110 minutes, because it is a bit too long, but it is enough to grab the viewer and more or less keep them there until the end - more or less.

The narrative isn't much to talk about, but the tone and tension is what works - if it works for you. The manner of delivery of this is an oppressive approach, making the viewer feel uncomfortable and not giving space to get away from it. I thought this aspect of it was done well in many different ways. The selection of the ratio, keeping the shot tight no matter what shot it was; the noise of the sea and sight of the waves; but even the dialogue - which was distracting in some ways but effective in others. The fruity accents and gruff delivery makes it hard to catch every word, but it did cause me to lean in. The performances come with an intensity and realism that sells the film even when so much of it is hard to accept on the face of it.

I do think that for a lot of viewers it will be a reasonable reaction to be put off the film - mainly because feeling uncomfortable for several hours is not an easy experience to sell. For myself I felt a bit of that - at the end that I more appreciated what it did well and how it did it than I actually 'enjoyed' the film as a film. One of those where I'm glad I watched it but am really unlikely to ever watch it again.

Robert Eggers' second (?) feature is a superb piece of mind-bending cinema. There are parallels with his earlier film, The Witch, elements of psychological horror which Eggers clearly finds interesting and hopefully hasn't finished exploring just yet. The decision to film in black and white is a stroke of genius. Every scene is filled with ominous portent and obscuring shadows. The film plays with our perceptions and moods throughout. There are moments of comedy amongst the gloom, the two men stranded on the rock endure a tumultuous relationship, by turns suspicious, angry and even savage, then there are unexpected moments of comradeship fuelled by alcohol. We are forced to question constantly who is mad, or perhaps madder? Are they in the grip of a storm, or are they in Hell? And the soundtrack! No one I can think of uses sound to create atmosphere quite like Eggers. Foghorns, the relentlessly howling wind, the seagulls; is it any wonder if they were as mad as a box of frogs? Willem Dafoe is absolutely fantastic in The Lighthouse. He really should be considered for an Oscar for his turn as the saltiest of old seadogs, spouting rage-filled Melville-esque invective straight from Davey Jones' locker, at sporadic intervals. I don't think there are many actors who could've pulled off that performance with such aplomb. He chews the scenery mercilessly, but it is exactly what the role requires; his Thomas Wake is a force of nature in human form. The Lighthouse won't be to everyone's taste, and it would be a mistake to view it as a moody twin sister of The Witch (which was a genuine horror); but I found it to be mesmerising and intriguing, and a fabulously well-crafted psychological drama with trimmings of horror.

Really well made movie. Great acting and I was really transported to another place and time. Well crafted for sure.. but in the end I'm not quite sure what the point of it all was. But maybe that was what the director was going for. Seemed like chaos for chaos sake. A strong film for sure though...

Both characters have few if any redeeming qualities, which makes this mind twisting movie difficult to get behind. The cinematography was good, the acting was on point, the writing was quotable but I wanted in to be over half way through. I'm still confused as to what the point was, other than to convey discomfort.

THE LIGHTHOUSE was the best film I've seen at Cannes so far, an incomparable hysterical nightmare epic with Pattinson potentially delivering the best performance of the year. It takes its time, digs deep under your subconscious and won't leave till you've picked apart every frame - 9/10

The acting is great, the cinematograpgy is AMAZING! There's such a haunting feeling to this movie. The island and the lighthouse really feels like a place from wich you never return. Everything is amazing about this movie, and still i feel like something's missing. The plot just cant keep up with the rest of the movie.

I really loved watching it, but i didnt love it...

Film festival sweetheart The Lighthouse is a movie that a lot of film buffs have been looking forward to. The buzz has been real since it's premiere at Cannes festival and has been my personal most anticipated movie of the year for a while now. I'm more than happy to report that this movie lived up to my expectations in every way imaginable and is probably the best movie from 2019

By far the most interesting thing about this movie is it's technical aspects. The movie is shot in 35mm black and white film at a 1,19x1 aspect ratio, basically the Lighthouse is shot to look like something that came out in the 1910s. Robert Eggers and his team have done such a phenomenal job here recreating this time period. And it works asolutely perfectly beacuse not only is it fitting for the time period that the movie is set in but it also adds to the claustrophobia and the atmosphere of the setting. Alot of thought was clearly put into shot composition as every single shot in this movie is breathtaking. Seriously there is some gorgeous cinematography on display here, some shots will stay with you long after you see the movie. Whilst the film is made to look and feel like a movie from the early 1900s, it's also not afraid to implement modern elements into the film aswell. camera movements and music composition add a unique modern spice that really adds to the movies unique presentation, there is truly nothing quite like this.

With the setting and the premise, for this movie to work it it needed two actors to pull this all together. Which is where Willam Dafoe and Robert pattinson come in, who both give career best performances. Both actors are given such brilliant material that allows them to go parody level insane, but it works beutifuly for the world in which they inhabit. Dafoe especially is hamming it up to cartoon levels of parody (Which the film does address) and it's absolutely amazing. Pattinson also continues to prove himself as one of the finest actors working in the industry.

Overall this is nothing short of spectacular. I truly cannot think of a single flaw. This is one of those movies that completely transcends you into its world and by the time the credits roll you will just want to go back in.

So many have commented already, I'll keep it short. I remember when I saw "Taxi Driver." I was amazed at DeNiro's performance, the incredible visuals, and the wonderful direction. We watched a man fall into a darkness that none of us could possibly survive. But what i remember to this day is being dragged through the world the film presents. There is a line where it is thought that one should take a part of the city and pour concrete over it, destroying the sickness and covering it forever. As I watched the really amazing, frenetic performances in this film, I had some of the same feelings. I reached a point where I wanted cleanliness and daylight. The cruelty from the beginning that never dissipates is all once can hold. It's about human destruction in a claustrophobic world, a living hell.

I've long since wanted to see 'The Lighthouse'. A slow burning story, with elements of Lovecraft and David Lynch, featuring two powerful actors in an isolated, secluded location sounds exactly my kind of horror.

I'm glad I have seen it. It satisfied my curiosity about what the director of 2015's terrific 'The Witch' would do next. Sadly, as a film, it failed to make any connection with me, or I with it. It isn't a bad production - the images are stark and beautifully filmed in black and white. The acting, mainly from Robert Pattinson and William Defoe, is intense and convincing - but I couldn't detect any real emotion, other than the rage that comes with being cooped up with another.

The direction clearly wants to provide us with weird and unsettling images, which it does, but that only goes so far when there isn't any kind of story, or development, going on - other than bouts of madness, which manifests itself in moments of screaming violence.

Despite everything, all I could see were two men, neither of whom are particularly likeable, shouting at each other, fighting or indulging in grubby personal habits. There are some interesting moments, mostly toward the end, but ultimately, there was nothing here I found frightening in any way. Nor did I find anything funny, or witty or particularly satisfying.

I won't slate the film because I can see it was well made and performed. It just didn't have any resonance with me personally. As such, I just found it rather dull and noisy. My score is 3 out of 10.

"The Lighthouse" is a Drama - Horror movie in which we follow the lives of two lighthouse keepers in New England island in the 1890s. They are both responsible for the maintenance of the lighthouse and everything is going well until they both experience something strange.

I liked this movie due to its amazing cinematography and the great interpretations of both Willem Dafoe who played as Thomas Wake and Robert Pattinson who played as Thomas Howard. Despite that, the movie's plot did not exist and the story was full of plot hole which were not covered. It's a pity because movies like this with a great potential fail so much due to a lack of writing.

Wow. Eggers follow up to The Witch knocks it out of the park. The Lighthouse is a masterful piece of art like nothing I've seen before. Following Defoe and Pattinson as they tend a Lighthouse. The film wastes no time turning into a disturbing submersion into insanity.

The Lighthouse is undoubtedly an unconventional and bizarre film. Giving the viewer nothing more than two men in one location. The movie manages to pull it off masterfully. Defoe's acting is really one of, if not the strongest aspects of The Lighthouse. His scary ramblings, his facial expressions, his level of commitment to the role are all second to none. I believe so far from what I've seen he deserves the oscar for what would be Best Supporting Actor. A24 recently said they will campaign Pattinson for best actor. Make no mistake, Pattinson absolutely kills it too. However for me, Defoe is the true tour de force performance.

Despite not having a conventional plot, their are some plot points and it's all this film needed to stay cohesive. The imagery in the film is very unsettling and surreal. The dialogue is expertly written and pungent. The score and the sound of The Lighthouse is another strong point, loudly ominous... it works perfectly. The cinematography is beautiful. Everything is firing on all cylinders and it creates one hell of a ride.

The Lighthouse is surely a one of a kind work and one of the best psychological horror films in recent memory. It falls just short of a 10/10 masterpiece for me due some pacing issues and certain events in the film feeling meaningless and repetitive. That being said, The Lighthouse is a true achievement in cinema and currently the best of 2019 for me. I can't wait to see it again. 9.5/10.

I expected so much more from the movie, as the director's prior movie, The Witch, was an excellent film. Additionally, the trailer for this movie immediately intrigued. However, upon seeing it, I left the theater initially confused but then after realizing it wasn't worth much energy, I just accepted the reality of my reaction: disappointment. It was underwhelming. The first hour or so was intriguing and certainly set things up in an intriguing manner but what was set up was ultimately neglected in a pursuit for style and atmosphere over substance. The movie is most definitely a play at metaphors, symbolism, hidden meaning, references to seafaring myths, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Greek myths (a seeming melding together of Sisyphus and Prometheus), and so on but the muddled execution made me suspect that there wasn't nearly as much going on as the cinephiles and movie theorists will invent for it.

Essentially, after the first hour this became narratively unclear and focused instead on repetitive fever dream scenarios and bombastic speeches and emotional conflict between the two characters - all of which were well done and well executed but only raised question marks without a clear story or message. Perhaps it is possible to decrypt it but nothing about the themes or the atmosphere or the story was compelling enough to merit the effort of seeking deeper meaning in this movie. The movie was cinematographically fantastic, well acted, well made, and so on. But the script and story failed after the first hour.

Wileman Dafoe and Robert Pattinson are two lighthouse keepers on a small, isolated island off the coast of Maine - actually shot in Nova Scotia. As a storm rages about them, they go slowly mad.

Robert Eggar's film is based in part on two Welsh lighthouse keepers in 1801, the Smalls Lighthouse tragedy. It is a peculiarly designed movie - Eggars, besides directing two movies, has worked on several other films as a production designer. The set is claustrophobic, the screen frame is just about square at 1.19:1, and the film is black and white. Dafoe uses an accent that is almost cartoonish, based on 19th century fishermen.

It's a striking-looking film, that's for certain, but despite the acclaim it has received, I think these details are more likely to appeal to those with a technical understanding and appreciation of antediluvian film making. I was certainly fascinated, but I have my doubts that it will appeal to a general audience; despite its High Art merit, film remains a medium that must appeal to tens of millions to be deemed a success. While the revival of antique techniques and extinct accents may please the cognoscenti, it won't play in Peoria.

Eggars is decidedly a dedicated director to the craftmanship of film. He has shown his skill at creating atmosphere with setting, sound, and a story. He is an actors' director and is malleable to each and every method of acting. From this, he is able to elicit exciting performances that highlight the excellence of his actors. The downside to his films is the focus on the craft of making and focus on a return to the aesthetics of film making. This leaves me wondering what he is trying to tell me with his films, as the esoteric nature of his "slowburn" approach dilutes much of the intensity of what he can create. In this film, he circles around and around again to show the descent into madness of characters that were mad at the beginning. So what was the point of the 2 hours of watching this film. Aesthetics? Craftmanship? Acting excellence? This he does. But these are not enough to build a film and enhance storytelling (which is different than setting a story). I wish Eggars would take a bit more time to create the "whole" versus intense focus on the minute details that, while showcase his talent, leave the film without a center upon to build a whole.

I saw this at TIFF and I was go glued the whole time. This film must have taken a physical toll on the actors, knowing Nova Scotia's harsh conditions, & it was mesmerizing to watch onscreen. Dafoe was good as expected but its Pattinson that really surprised. It would be a tragedy if these men didn't get nominated for awards. Cinematography nomination is a certainty. This film was just beautiful & artistic & amazing on all fronts. Well done Eggers

I had no idea what to expect going into this. The 4:3 aspect ratio was the first surprise (and to be honest, something I didn't like throughout).

The atmospherics around the lonely lighthouse, and the conguring up of the late-Victorian time period are superb.

You're pulled step by step into a world of madness, and before you know it you have arrived. So the first half of the film is intriguing. But by the second half, it seems to descend into "shouty theatre", and this ultimately left me feeling unfulfilled and disappointed.

If you want to experience something different, then go for it, but be prepared to be left short-changed at the end.

Starts off brilliant and nuanced, but unfortunately ends incoherent and pointless. Too bad, because at times the cinematography, and acting is great.