The Lighthouse

The Lighthouse is a psychological thriller directed by Robert Eggers and stars Willem Defoe and Robert Pattinson as two lighthouse keepers on a remote island in 1890s New England. Made completely in black and white, the film is largely about isolation and how it affects the mind as we see the two men make a slow but intense descent into insanity when they end up stranded on the island and start to run out of supplies, including alcohol which is the only thing that initially keeps them going.

This film has many Hallmarks of The Shining, I've heard this comparison made a few times and I have to totally agree, as the film goes on, you start to wonder what is real and what isn't, and if there are really two men there or is one of them a figment of the other's imagination. We learn that on the sea, it is believed seagulls carry the souls of dead sailors and is bad luck to kill them, which leads on to me having to mention my favourite scene, when Ephraim (Pattinson), proceeds to batter a seagull to death against the cistern which has been giving him trouble ever since he arrived on the island, I'd say it holds the record for longest scene ever in which an aquatic feathered mammal has been brutally murdered. That is a scene that will stay with me for quite a while I reckon.

Defoe and Pattinson are both absolutely superb throughout, their acting is spot on with delivering a deranged and chilling performance, especially Pattinson, who first appears to be level headed but then slowly declines into madness, where as Thomas (Defoe) is perfect as the lonely old sea dog who seems to have lost the plot long ago.

I really enjoyed The Lighthouse, films like this are very few these days, just a small cast, with no over the top silly acting and no special effects, just a good simple plot with a few twists and plays on your mind throughout.

I can't think of anything negative to say, although there was probably a tad more masturbation than there should have been, so my score is 4.5 bloody battered seagulls out of 5. Excellent!