Robert Eggers got his start working as a theater director and designer before transitioning to filmmaking in the late 2000s. He mostly worked as a production designer on numerous short films and documentaries, though he did direct a few shorts. Then, in 2015, Eggers burst onto the scene with the period horror film, The Witch, which became an instant hit. Not only did the film gross over ten times its budget, but it received unanimous praise from critics and audiences. Stephen King even liked the film, calling it “a real movie, tense and thought-provoking as well as visceral”. Around this time, his brother Max was working on adapting Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Light-House”, but it eventually stalled. Robert decided to work on the project with his brother, making it his follow-up feature to his earlier success. Four years later, Eggers’ The Lighthouse, written by him and Max, was released.
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Synopsis
In the late 1800s, young Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson) gets a contract job as a lighthouse keeper or “wickie”. His boss is the curmudgeonly old salt Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe), who takes his job as a wickie very seriously. Winslow is scheduled to work the lighthouse for four weeks, and Wake puts him through the wringer in that time. Every night, Winslow sees Wake going to the top of the lighthouse, which he is never allowed to enter. As time progresses, Winslow begins losing his sanity, seeing strange visions of tentacles, tree stumps, and a mermaid (Valeriia Karamän). He’s also constantly tormented by a one-eyed seagull, but Wake warns him not to attack, saying that it’s bad luck. Unfortunately, things get worse when a raging storm prevents them from leaving the island, so they decide to drink. As time flies, it’s a race to see who will survive The Lighthouse.
Review
When I wrote my Best and Worst Films of 2019 List, I mentioned some stipulations about what made the list. I talked about how there were some movies I didn’t see last year, so those wouldn’t make the list. That being said, if I had seen The Lighthouse last year, it would’ve for sure made my Best Of list. Back when I saw The Witch, I thought it was one of the best films I’d seen that year. So, when I heard the same director was working on a new film, I was more than ecstatic. Sadly, I didn’t get a chance to see it in theaters, but I’ve finally seen it, and it didn’t disappoint. The first thing I have to comment on is the performances from Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe, both phenomenal. This is easily Pattinson’s best performance, and Dafoe is just as good as ever.
From a filmmaking standpoint, this is one of the most uniquely made and inventive films made in recent years. With its 1.19:1 aspect ratio and black and white photography, it has the look of an early silent film. The black and white look also makes the more intense sequences ever more unsettling, especially with the use of shadows. What also makes this film special is how it mixes its dread and suspense with moments of comedy. There’s even a running joke about how bad Wake’s farts are, showing that the filmmakers aren’t above lowbrow humor. When the characters start getting drunk, you can’t help but laugh at just how outrageous and insane they’re acting. Some people might be put off by the slow pacing, but for fans of slow-burn films, this shouldn’t be missed. Overall, The Lighthouse is easily one of the best films of 2019.
Buy The Lighthouse on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4g1PROw.
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