The Lighthouse, a fantasy / drama / horror about two lighthouse keepers struggling to maintain their sanity while living on a remote, mysterious New England island is a movie that noticeably builds and builds; especially where the tensions between its two characters is concerned. It also becomes more and more intriguing, fantastical and has a permeating sense of dread as it plays, resulting in an ending that makes sense but also left me with some questions.

I definitely can’t deny overall that writer / director Robert Eggers’s 1890s set film is a good one. I enjoyed the cinematography, some of the dialogue and definitely the great performances by Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe. In terms of how I feel about Eggers’s movie in its entirety, for reasons that include the film’s genre (fantasy especially) and the general loudness based on the sounds and noises the two men had to endure; plus the inclusion of much of the less than sanitary / unsavoury aspects of being a lighthouse keeper in the 1800’s, I can’t say that I loved The Lighthouse. 

Should you find yourself quite curious, give it a chance because it’s unlike most. It also has that stage play quality, likely due to the dialogue style and single setting. Who knows, you may just find yourself far more enthused by the whole experience overall than I was.

I know for sure that during the movie and when it was over, I desperately wanted to believe that the job and experience of being a lighthouse keeper these days is quite different; at the very least, far more sanitary.

Happy Film Loving 

G