Review: The Lighthouse

Directed by Robert Eggers

Starring: Willem Dafoe, Robert Pattinson

The plot follows two lighthouse keepers who start to lose their sanity when a storm strands them on the remote island where they are stationed.

Another film I was really hyped for, was Robert Egger's The Lighthouse. Just like Ari Aster, who made a marvelous first film with A24, Robert Egger's directorial debut came with his feature film in 2015, The VVitch (The Witch). The VVitch for me had some problems, but was overall great, and was a fresh breath of air in the consistently tainted horror genre. The Lighthouse generated a lot of positive reactions in Cannes, and we were all wondering if Eggers can beat the sophomore jinx, and man did he deliver with The Lighthouse.

The plot was fantastic and blended really well by being both grounded and somewhat surrealistic. There are many scenes that will remind you of Lynch's filmography and surrealistic style. The writing was excellent, and the film had it's brilliant share of powerful and hilarious monologues and dialogue. The performances were phenomenal from both our wickies, they both deliver, with Pattinson yet again proving the doubters wrong. The film will you fill you with different emotions and feelings, that will make you think you yourself is going mad just like the two leads. The involvement of Greek mythology into the film added to it's mystery and surrealism.

The cinematography was gorgeous, and it being in black and white, and utilizing a 1.19:1 aspect ratio, only added to it's charm and benefit. The production and costume design were immaculate instantly placing you in the time period. The music adds to the dreaded tension and suspense and is pretty well done. The sound-editing was great and immersed me with the sounds of the seagulls, the ocean, and infamously the looping foghorn.

In conclusion, Robert Eggers crafts a phenomenal original psychological horror film, that definitely deserves all the praise it gets. Directors such as Ari Aster and Robert Egger, are reviving the genre, and proving that horror does still have a place in cinema with imagination and originality, and not sequels and remakes. So if you haven't seen the film yet, what are you waiting for? Go pop some popcorn, sit down, and allow Robert Eggers to tell you the tale of Winslow and Wake.

My rating: 10/10

#FilmReview #2019 #CTRecommended