The Lighthouse

I wrote a 10 page essay on this film in which I explored its mise-en-scene, productions behind-the-scenes, and it’s derived story and deeper themes. I had to have watched this movie through at least 10 times in a week. I think I’m obligated to rank it higher because of this fact.

Two men fart and squabble in a lighthouse.

A film student’s wet dream.

Well, what a fever dream that was.

This is a werid movie to rate. 60% of it is boring, 40% is brilliant it has 2 actors at there absolute best and some amazing directing and shots but i think this story needed a shorter run time it goes on for to long especially in its 1st half 9.2/10

Rating: 8.1/10

I honestly had to revisit this absolute fever dream. I love this; it’s a claustrophobic, salty descent into madness feeling like a cursed 19th-century photo.

The Director's Eye (What Worked):
• The boxy aspect ratio and gritty black-and-white film makes their isolation feel so suffocating.
• Dafoe and Pattinson swinging from singing besties to attempted murder is insane.
• The relentless foghorn acts as a booming metronome for their deteriorating sanity.

The Friction (What Didn't Click for Me):
• The period-accurate sailor dialogue is cool, but I missed lines because it gets incredibly dense.

The Verdict:
I love it. Watch for a weirdly funny acting masterclass. Skip if you need a straight plot.