Review of The Lighthouse (2019) by Grantd243 — 25 Oct 2019

The Lighthouse is a masterful piece of filmmaking by Robert Eggers. As a follow up to his debut feature, The Witch, The Lighthouse is very different in most ways. It's still a very slow burn and it is based around a singular location.

But there is no witchcraft or ghosts. This isn't about a haunted lighthouse, this is about two guys who go crazy in a lighthouse. And it's never really clear which parts of the story are based in reality and which are hallucinations.

It's open for each audience member to come away with their own conclusion of the story. So if you're looking for a film that ties everything up all nice with a bow, The Lighthouse isn't for you. There is also a dash of crude humor in this film that really, really works.

The jokes never feel out of place and I actually laughed out loud a few times. As for the cinematography, the lenses that Eggers used (which I believe were from the 1920s) really helped him make this look like a film that was legitimately made in the early 1900s.

Some people may get turned off by the old-timey, black and white look. But it really makes for a more enthralling viewing experience. The framing on the scenes that focused solely on Dafoe or Pattinson as they were nonsensically yelling about something were incredible.

Finally, Robert Pattinson gives the best performance of his career and Willem Dafoe gives one of his best performances of his career. I think both of them should be serious contenders at the Oscars. And, honestly, Dafoe should win best supporting actor.

Apart from a mermaid who is briefly in the film, these two were the ONLY actors in the film. They carried it all on their own, and it's one of the best (if not the best) film of the year.