Short Attention Span Review - The Lighthouse (2019)

Short Attention Span Review - The Lighthouse (2019)

After hitting the scene with The Witch, which scared me witless, Robert Eggers has taken his peculiar talents to another level with The Lighthouse.  While it is far murkier and lacks the same impetus, there can be no doubt that this is another masterful exercise in terror.  The decision to shoot in black and white delivers stunning results, while the 1.19:1 aspect ratio tightens the director's grip on the audience, ramping up the paranoia.  This is a bleak tale of madness and loathing, and it is also a surreal odyssey into darkness and murder.  It is an actor's showcase, and Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson prove seaworthy as they spar with one another all the way to a diabolical conclusion.  This is a movie that will prove too deliberate for many and too strange for others, but those who are looking for something different and exhilarating may find themselves thoroughly entranced.  I was hooked from the start, and while I don't view this as a masterpiece, it surely stimulated me every step of the way.  Portions of The Lighthouse are downright awkward by design, and it poses many questions that the viewer is left to ponder after the closing reel.  I enjoy such fare, and this is a fine example of a surreal nightmare that paints a subjective portrait.  The craftsmanship is impeccable, and I warrant that The Lighthouse will trigger a powerful response from even those who deride it as a failure.  It is perhaps the very antithesis of a buddy picture, devoted entirely to two poorly matched characters whose perilous union is clearly doomed, though there are surprising moments of jocularity that do little to ease the tension.  Many elements of The Lighthouse may be real or imagined, but the director's vision and ability are impossible to ignore.  The Witch was a marvel, The Lighthouse is a potent oddity, and I can't wait to see Robert Eggers does next. 

Final Grade: A-

Striking visuals and incredible acting make The Lighthouse an invigorating trip worth taking.