Following on from the critical success of The Witch (2015), director Robert Eggers has already cemented himself as director worth keeping a close eye on. His newest film The Lighthouse (2019) received universal acclaim when it premiered at Cannes Film Festival last year, with its release in the States only adding to the buzz around the picture. Finally, it has arrived in the UK almost 5 months removed from its original U.S theatrical run, and thankfully it was more than worth the wait. The Lighthouse is bold, unsettling and hilarious all in one incredibly crafted film experience.

We begin with Pattinson and Defoe arriving at a remote Lighthouse, seemingly in the middle of nowhere on an island that barely has enough space for the Lighthouse, let alone our two leads. Defoe’s character makes it clear from the get-go that this is not going to be a fun four weeks, as he puts Pattinson through the ringer both physically and mentally, while seemingly hiding his own secrets in the lantern of the Lighthouse, a place only Defoe is permitted to be by his own accord.  As the days turn into weeks, both men being to lose themselves as the mystery of the Lighthouse begins to attract Pattinson more and more each day.

The film immediately pulls you in with its stunning visual style, as well as the incredible atmosphere that Eggers is able to create. Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.19:1 and being in black and white, the film is able to match its old folk tale nature with this decision to opt for a classic Hollywood framing. Cinematographer Jarin Blaschke nabbed himself an Academy Award nomination for his work here and it is more than deserved. The claustrophobic nature of the narrative lends itself perfectly to the aspect ratio, forcing the characters to get in close with one another which only adds to the palpitating tension within the film. Yet even with this tighter ratio, still the film presents stunning shots of the island that left me truly astounded at how they pulled it off, as wee see the waves quite literally crashing into Defoe and Pattinson as they walk the rough terrain of the island at day, before clashing with another at night.

The two leads deliver some career best performances, with Defoe perhaps at his absolute craziest (which when you consider his filmography is truly saying something). Pattinson even at one point accuses Defoe of being a parody of a sailor, which to an extent is true. The out of control beard, the hard to understand accent and constant singing of shanties and urban legends are the perfect counterbalance to Pattinson, who remains more reserved before allowing himself to really go wild with the performance, selling some of the film’s most entertaining moments. It is impossible to imagine the film starring any other actors, they really are that perfect.

The jigsaw pieces are spread across the screen for us and we are left to put the thing together. The themes at play here are truly up for debate, it could be touching upon the meaning of the self, not to similar to the Bergman’s Persona (1966), perhaps masculinity in crisis or how we deal with past trauma. The key strength of the film is that it could be all of the above or simply none at all, what you take from the film is down to you and the film does not by any means leave you unsatisfied with the details presented, in that regard it is truly akin to Kubrick’s The Shining (1980).

Regardless of what the film is or is not trying to convey, The Lighthouse is a tightly crafted masterpiece. It achieves everything it sets out to do, and will stick with you long after it lets out of its grip. It is truly unlike anything I have ever seen.

Director: Robert Eggers
Writers: Robert Eggers, Max Eggers
Stars: Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe, Valeriia Karaman
Kyle Gaffney
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