The Lighthouse (2019)
Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson are two New England lighthouse keepers who slowly descend into madness in this psychological thriller from Robert Eggers (The Witch).
- Director:
- Robert Eggers ('The Witch')
- Writer:
- Max EggersRobert Eggers
- Cast:
- Robert PattinsonWillem DafoeValeriia KaramanLogan Hawkes
Reviews & comments
Flicks, Aaron Yap
flicksThe location atmosphere is thick, anxious, pregnant with foreboding. The ocean undulates in the distance, threatening to devour the protagonists whole like some abyssal Lovecraftian gut. The stench of flatulence and boozy bodily fluid fill every damp crevasse of their creaky quarters. As the clockwork drudgery grows increasingly absurd in its endlessness, the glowing, omniscient lamp they’re toiling to keep running becomes an inexplicable vortex of arcane mystery, enchantment and discontent.
A modern-day classic from A24
The Lighthouse is loosely based on the tragedy of Smalls lighthouse, an incident that led to the unexplained deaths of two Welsh men in 1801. Where there is a mystery, the mind quickly turns to the supernatural, and The Lighthouse does not shy away from the dark or fantastical. It's nice to have a change of pace and return to more traditional styles of...
An incessant horn and clever use of shadows are few of the great devices used in this movie from Robert Eggers, to follow up his extraordinary debut, The Witch (2015). The dialogue is a little difficult to decipher at times. Still, the eerie visual imagery as well as the constant foreboding tone are surely best witnessed in a theatre.
Now this is something else
From Robert Eggers and starring Robert Pattinson and William Dafoe, The Lighthouse is quite the experience. From the opening scene right till the end, this thing takes a deep, cold dive into isolation and insanity. Pattinson and Dafoe here are both truly sensational and honestly, it would not be the same without them. They are the heart, soul and engine of...
Fantastic, disturbing, beautiful.
This movie is like a 2hr long panic attacks, but in a good way. This kept me feeling tense but 100% engaged the entire time. Every shot was beautifully composed and many would not be out of place as still shots in an art gallery. Willem Defoe terrifies and Robert Pattinson is mesmerising. A must watch.
There is a certain 'enchantment in the light'
The Geets: A diabolical and claustrophobic experience which illustrates mastery in capturing the pure essence of insanity in every single scene. Eggers is certainly making a name for himself with a perfected entry into the Horror genre showing just how effective the examination of the psychological state is in compounding terror and fear for the...
New Zealand Herald
pressAdd to the director's formal brilliance two highly committed performances from Pattinson and Dafoe and you have a thrilling gothic vision of madness that may well be an oppressive experience, yet is something to be admired.
Sydney Morning Herald
pressThere’s little suspense in any of it – partly because the outcome is inevitable. What’s more, neither man has managed to generate much sympathy, so it doesn’t qualify as tragedy. There is no fall from grace because there has never been much grace to lose. It’s all academic.
The New York Times
pressEggers meticulously sets the scene, adds texture and builds tension and mystery from men locked in battle and sometimes in embrace.
Los Angeles Times
press"The Lighthouse" may be a little too in love with its own virtuosity, but who can blame it? At a time when American movies are overrun with shopworn visions, its madness is a balm and a beacon.
FilmInk
pressIf you’re up for some weird, dense, symbolist gear, then The Lighthouse might just be the beacon in the darkness you’ve been searching for.
Total Film
pressPeerless filmmaking from a director who's emerging as one of contemporary horror's true greats.
Time Out
pressIt leaves you dazed, terrified and elated, and it signals Eggers as one of the most exciting directors working today.
Little White Lies
pressIt's as if this footage has just been unearthed after a century mouldering in a Scandinavian documentary film archive.
Collider
pressThere are moments where Pattinson is so transformative it's jarring. You simply never thought he had it in him.
Flicks, Aaron Yap
flicksThe location atmosphere is thick, anxious, pregnant with foreboding. The ocean undulates in the distance, threatening to devour the protagonists whole like some abyssal Lovecraftian gut. The stench of flatulence and boozy bodily fluid fill every damp crevasse of their creaky quarters. As the clockwork drudgery grows increasingly absurd in its endlessness, the glowing, omniscient lamp they’re toiling to keep running becomes an inexplicable vortex of arcane mystery, enchantment and discontent.
New Zealand Herald
pressAdd to the director's formal brilliance two highly committed performances from Pattinson and Dafoe and you have a thrilling gothic vision of madness that may well be an oppressive experience, yet is something to be admired.
Sydney Morning Herald
pressThere’s little suspense in any of it – partly because the outcome is inevitable. What’s more, neither man has managed to generate much sympathy, so it doesn’t qualify as tragedy. There is no fall from grace because there has never been much grace to lose. It’s all academic.
The New York Times
pressEggers meticulously sets the scene, adds texture and builds tension and mystery from men locked in battle and sometimes in embrace.
Los Angeles Times
press"The Lighthouse" may be a little too in love with its own virtuosity, but who can blame it? At a time when American movies are overrun with shopworn visions, its madness is a balm and a beacon.
FilmInk
pressIf you’re up for some weird, dense, symbolist gear, then The Lighthouse might just be the beacon in the darkness you’ve been searching for.
Total Film
pressPeerless filmmaking from a director who's emerging as one of contemporary horror's true greats.
Time Out
pressIt leaves you dazed, terrified and elated, and it signals Eggers as one of the most exciting directors working today.
Little White Lies
pressIt's as if this footage has just been unearthed after a century mouldering in a Scandinavian documentary film archive.
Collider
pressThere are moments where Pattinson is so transformative it's jarring. You simply never thought he had it in him.
A modern-day classic from A24
The Lighthouse is loosely based on the tragedy of Smalls lighthouse, an incident that led to the unexplained deaths of two Welsh men in 1801. Where there is a mystery, the mind quickly turns to the supernatural, and The Lighthouse does not shy away from the dark or fantastical. It's nice to have a change of pace and return to more traditional styles of...
An incessant horn and clever use of shadows are few of the great devices used in this movie from Robert Eggers, to follow up his extraordinary debut, The Witch (2015). The dialogue is a little difficult to decipher at times. Still, the eerie visual imagery as well as the constant foreboding tone are surely best witnessed in a theatre.
Now this is something else
From Robert Eggers and starring Robert Pattinson and William Dafoe, The Lighthouse is quite the experience. From the opening scene right till the end, this thing takes a deep, cold dive into isolation and insanity. Pattinson and Dafoe here are both truly sensational and honestly, it would not be the same without them. They are the heart, soul and engine...
Fantastic, disturbing, beautiful.
This movie is like a 2hr long panic attacks, but in a good way. This kept me feeling tense but 100% engaged the entire time. Every shot was beautifully composed and many would not be out of place as still shots in an art gallery. Willem Defoe terrifies and Robert Pattinson is mesmerising. A must watch.
There is a certain 'enchantment in the light'
The Geets: A diabolical and claustrophobic experience which illustrates mastery in capturing the pure essence of insanity in every single scene. Eggers is certainly making a name for himself with a perfected entry into the Horror genre showing just how effective the examination of the psychological state is in compounding terror and fear for the...
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