The Lighthouse (2019)

Written by SierraKiloBravo on July 7, 2020

Click here for a video version of this review: https://youtu.be/qvEDkWC9MMk

“I’ve got no idea what I just watched, but I loved it” - those were my exact words as the credits rolled on The Lighthouse.

I’d been chomping at the bit to watch this ever since seeing the first trailer, and recently it’s finally became available for rent on YouTube. Starring Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson? What’s this weird looking square framed black and white movie all about I hear you say? Here’s the offical description:

Two lighthouse keepers try to maintain their sanity while living on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s.

With the same director as The VVitch at the helm you get a very good idea of the madness that is about to ensue. And oh boy does madness ensue. In what might be the most perfectly cast movie ever, Pattinson and Dafoe were absolutely the right choice for these roles. The characters they play as we meet them are somewhat stereotypical - Dafoe is the weatherbeaten man of the sea, and Pattinson is the guy with a murky past who might be trying to escape from something. Their relationship goes from dislike to begrudging respect to...well it’s hard to say what happens after that...

The artistic decision to film in black and white on 35mm film in an almost square ratio heightens everything. It feels claustrophobic, the characters stare directly at you at times, the framing is perfect, it’s a a sight to behold. This film reminded me of everything from silent films of the 1920s through to the creep-fest known as Begotten. Strap yourself in for a ride that will make you clench your teeth at the beautiful destruction.

As you can probably tell, I loved this movie. It won’t be for everyone as it’s very much an arthouse piece and doesn’t follow the standard norms for film, but I encourage everyone to give it a shot. You’ll either love it or hate it. As for me, I’m just gutted I never got to see this in a theatre because I reckon it would have blown my mind.