The Lighthouse

Earlier this year we received an awesome horror film by the name of Midsommar. It's one who's impact has been felt long after I watched it as I still find myself pulled back into its flower-drenched imagery, shocking gore, and memorable ending. 

Nearly a year ago, I watched The Shining for the first time. Another slow burn of a horror film with searing imagery of a descent into madness.

Given that The Lighthouse was from the director of The VVitch, I honestly wasn't all that excited. For me, The VVitch  was "fine" but was, for most of that year heralded as the scariest movie ever made (a term very loosely handed out anymore). I didn't find it all that scary, and was probably too influenced by outside opinions of what it should be to truly enjoy it for what it was. Cut to 2019 where I ignore most hype for horror films and end up going in blind, enjoying films like Midsommar far more. 

The Lighthouse is an example of the benefit of that. Much like The Shining, Lighthouse is less a horror film, even less so than Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece, and more about madness and loneliness. And much like that film from 1980, The Lighthouse is one of the best made films of the year. 

Don't look now, but I'm seriously wondering if there are going to be 2 "horror" films on my Top 10 list by end of year. Who am I?

The first thing you'll notice about The Lighthouse is...well...the aspect ratio. Instead of the standard widescreen we're all used to, you get a more square-ish ratio (I could go into the numbers, but just know there are going to be large black bars on the sides of your screen). This immediately made me feel claustrophobic, a sense I believe the film was going for. Eventually that wears off somewhat, but as a design choice it was one piece of many that led the film to be highly memorable. The next immediate thing you'll notice (likely from stills around the internet) is the film is in black and white. Again, this plays an effect on setting your mind in the time period and adding great layers of contrast to the visuals. Just look at that striking poster above! The first 5 minutes or so is void of any dialogue so when talking first showed up I half expected the lines to be delivered over those old-timey transition "slides" where you see the character talking and it cuts to the dialogue text next. Luckily that's not the case as that likely would have been too far in the wrong direction. 

"I was a great Green Goblin g**d****t!

Weirdly enough, The Lighthouse is also an interesting and entertaining history lesson. All horror elements aside, watching Pattinson's character do chore after chore is an effective gateway into what life was like for lighthouse keepers, particularly ones that are far out in the ocean and not attached to mainland. Apparently not every lighthouse comes with an Alicia Vikander to keep you company [+10 obscure movie reference points]. The truth is that it was back-breaking work with nothing but your thoughts, your work, tobacco, and drink to keep you company, along with whomever you get assigned to spend the month with before you're picked up and relieved of duty. It sounds very strange, but perhaps one of my favorite things about this film is how much you learn about an incredibly old and tough job. 

"Look here, seeeee. We're gonna watch
this here lighthouse seeeee."
[Not actual accents used]

The Lighthouse is a slow burn and won't be for everybody. I even wonder if I would have actually enjoyed it back in the day when I was seeing a normal amount of films like the rest of the general public. Who knows? But the process is effective and perhaps the only issue I take with the entire film is that it burns a little too slowly in the middle. At shy of 2 hours, it doesn't overindulge as much as Midsommar did, but almost. Aside from that however, we're presented with a shotgun approach to the madness which is shockingly effective. There's suggestions of mythological creatures, monsters, time warping, and just straight up cabin fever. It's effective because you never truly know what's going on and you're kept on your toes until the finale. Much like many of the best horror films, including The Shining, we're treated to some mind-searing imagery along the way and some truly memorable moments. In large part this is because of the unique style of the film - the gift that keeps on giving - but also because of some incredible cinematography that's far better than any cinematography captured in the time period where black-and-white with this aspect ratio was actually used. 

Lastly, you're left with two core performances that are as engrossing as the rest of the film itself. Truly, this is Robert Pattinson's best performance of his career and he absorbs most of the screen time. While sporting a thick New England accent, he's a man trying to straighten out his life before his time with Willem Dafoe takes its turn. In both normal moments and one of madness, Pattinson captivates effortlessly to display the ideas, thoughts, and feelings going through his character's mind. Willem Dafoe is the more seasoned attendant who behaves mysteriously, has a thick Irish drawl, and farts a lot, but his performance nearly rivals Pattinson's with some impressive monologues and his ability to manipulate the conversations in whichever way he chooses. 

Recommending The Lighthouse feels like a hard sell for general audiences so I'm torn. I absolutely loved it (obviously) because it felt different, was historically interesting, and displayed a captivating and sometimes fun collapse into madness. Though likely in the same way that The Shining wasn't for everyone back in 1980, The Lighthouse is a film you should be patient with and understand that it's different going into it. Much like I had to learn over the years, take away the hype or hyperbole that critics are using - even my own - and just go see it with an open mind and little else. 

CONS

• About 10 minutes too long and meanders in the middle too much
• There's a sexual angle that pops up at times that doesn't really feel like it fits and almost felt like it was included for shock factor

PROS

• Incredible design choices with aspect ratio and coloring to really set the initial tone
• Speaking of tone, holds and molds it with skill and ease, hitting beats of dread, despair, and darkness at all the right moments
• Historically intriguing, even in the dullest of moments
• Wonderful cinematography that feels unique given the "old timey" film style
• A slow burn push into craziness that keeps you on your toes and offers lots of different theories
• Career best performances from Pattinson and Dafoe
• Packed with scenes that will likely become more and more memorable and iconic over time

Rath's Review Score | 9.5/10