“The Lighthouse” is a comedic but tension-filled story of cabin fever; a black-and-white masterpiece

Black-and-white films: when brought to the attention of most everyday people, they think decades old, Charlie Chaplin-esque silent films, poorly-aged British dramas, or a classic that your grandparents used to love in their youth. Only after watching Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma” have I ever agreed that a black-and-white color scheme was essential to the story, emotion, and core of what makes the movie what it is. Having now seen Robert Eggers’ new masterpiece “The Lighthouse”, I can agree with that statement once again.

In late 1890’s New England on a remote and desolate island, two men, Ephraim Winslow and Thomas Wake (played masterfully by Robert Pattinson and Willem Defoe, respectively), take upon the job of keeping to and working a lighthouse over the course of eight weeks. For Pattinson’s Winslow, what starts off as simple but tasking work and forced interaction with a vexing old man turns into a never-ending list of grueling chores, unfair living and working conditions, and constant mistreatment from a superior. Winslow develops an obsession with the light in the tower’s top chamber that he is prevented from visiting, and as the weeks of harsh labor continue, he grows to despise and hate the irritable and infuriating old man he works under. Furthermore, Winslow detests Wake for his consistent superstitions, tall tales of folklore and seaman’s stories, and the constant referrals to him as ‘lad’. 

And there’s nothing worse than being stuck on an island with a person you despise.

All of Winslow’s rage builds up over the course of his long and tiresome work days, and he finally releases it upon a one-eyed seagull who had been bothering him since his arrival upon the island. With Wake’s superstition that it is “bad luck to kill a seabird!” coming to fruition, the two men become trapped on the island, living off nothing but alcohol and hatred for one another. As the bottles are drunk, arguments and angry monologues are hollered, and the waves crash against their dilapidated sea-shack, the two men slowly lose their sanity. Through drunken visions of sea-creatures (or real sights of the island’s mysterious containments) and loose-lipped recollections of their previous lives, the audience comes to learn who the two men truly are. Towards the film’s climax you no longer know who is the true protagonist or antagonist, and must decide whether you’re rooting for the men to make it out alive, or take pleasure in watching them lose their minds and suffer further.

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As the two men grow to insanity, the audience does too. The film’s gloomy and dark color palette make for a hopeless, dreary, and insanely uncomfortable experience on the island from the very first shots. With more shades of grey than scales on a mermaid’s tale, the cinematography and close up shots allow you to see every water droplet on Winslow’s rain soaked body and each loose thread on Wake’s battered Irish sweater. The lighting and emphasis on the contrasts between each variation of darks, lights, and greys, combined with a masterful set and costume design, make the viewer feel like they have been placed directly in the movie. The audience will feel like they’re stuck inside the cramped, broken house that is falling apart faster than the two men’s minds. When you watch this movie, you will feel like you’re stuck inside another person’s gloomy, depressing nightmare.

The film is also shot with a 4:3 aspect ratio, making for more narrow and vintage cinematography, and an off-putting perspective viewed from an uncentered square.

Even more impressive than the setting and costume work is the performances by Pattinson and Defoe. Even before all of the chaos starts, Wake and Winslow fluctuate from being at each other's throats to drunkenly singing sea-shanties and dancing in each other’s arms. With both characters being perfect opposites of each other, the actors do a fine job of perfecting their roles as a silent, self-reserved and secretive young man, and the bombastic, outrageous old man who’s tall-tales are far from reality. As the film progresses and more alcohol and lighter fluid is consumed, the two men truly lose their shit, and I applaud Pattinson especially for his slow-burn performance as a man losing his sanity, and the subtle but powerful facial expressions he uses when witnessing his drunken-visions.

While the film is often uncomfortable and eerily unsettling at times, it is also unashamedly comedic. With many moments to break the suspense or simply make the audience laugh, the film does a fine job of adding the flavor of a dark comedy without losing any of the tension or dreariness of the character’s downfalls. I must also hold a candle to Eggers for including multiple fart jokes from Defoe’s character, none of which go stale.

What really makes this film so great is how unique it is from common horror movies or close-quartered thrillers. Despite all of the weird visual imagery, the loss in progression of time, and contradicting dialogue, Eggers refrains from giving the audience all of the answers. The best films are the ones the audience gets to interpret on their own, and this film does that spectacularly. Every peculiar shot and piece of abnormal dialogue can have many different meanings, and if you are looking for a mind-bending and thought-provoking piece of art that will stick with you for weeks, this is the film for you.

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Conclusion: With memorable moments like Winslow vs the seagull, Wake’s monologue after his lobster recipe is offended, and the film’s chilling final shots, “The Lighthouse” will no doubtedly go down as a cult classic among arthouse-film lovers and horror movie buffs, and may be Egger’s very best work for years to come.

Rating: 10/10

(A special thank you to two very amazing people: my Mom, Sheila, who went along with me to see this obscure and artistic film on a Friday night when she could’ve done something better, and my English teacher Mr. Chuck Hussung, who’s recommendation and high praises for the film compelled me to see it in theaters and write this review. Thank you both.)