Review: “The Lighthouse” shines in oceanic terror

During an exchange of see-sawing moods and madness, a seated Willem Dafoe will pause, look at Robert Pattinson and ask a fitting question.

“How long have we been on this rock? Five weeks? Two days? Help me to recollect.”

The question  fits the logic of the scene, but also refers to a confusion and dread that the audience, by this point in the movie, has already felt. The Lighthouse takes the volatile, roaring power of the sea and translates it into a film that builds up and plays with multiple scenes’ tension, essentially also playing with the audience. 

Conceptually, “The Lighthouse” is simple. It follows greenhorn lighthouse keeper (or wickie) Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson) and his tenure at a remote New England lighthouse in the 1890s. Overseen by a salty wickie by the name of Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe), the film follows the day-to-day labor and interactions between the men as they succumb to cabin fever. 

If you’re familiar with director Roger Eggers’ previous film and debut, “The Witch” (2016), you know that he likes his scary movies with period dialogue and period accuracy. For the second time, Eggers dedicates this effort to something that’ll dredge up some miserable horror in your gut.  Just, this time, it’s not in the woods of 17th century New England, but a rock off the coast of Maine in the 1890s. This older aesthetic is furthered by black-and-white and an aspect ratio that is just as cramped as the quarters the two wickies live in. That setting doesn’t have to worry about believability, because it is real. Along with production designer Craig Lathrop, Eggers built a working lighthouse on the Nova Scotian coast and also featured the area’s blustery, oceanside rains in tandem with Dafoe and Pattinson. 

All of this information, of course, would be contained to only the promotional media circuit if not for the dedication to intensity and insanity that is in the final product. It commits very little time to introduction and throws viewers straight into the atmosphere of Eggers’ “dollhouse” — although at times with surprising humour — so they can watch them unfold, then collapse. The meticulous writing of Eggers and his brother Max make a well-oiled machine. A prolonged shot, sudden cut or audio beat also are all that the movie needs to again build tension and anticipation of the next spine-tingling moment. The pacing, editing, disturbing imagery, dissonant score — all contribute to a film that becomes comparable to the 1980 classic “The Shining.” And, just like “The Shining,” it becomes hard to distinguish if some of the events are real at all.

Undeniably, the most fascinating experience is watching Dafoe and Pattinson carry the movie — it’s worth a watch just for the experience of guessing when Dafoe will go on another rant or what will happen at the next dinner. Through all of Thomas Wake’s barking of orders and lecturing about seaworthy superstition, it’s hard to remember that behind that bearded face is the same man who played the Green Goblin with similar instability. Similarly, Ephraim Winslow’s sharp gazes convey the boiling pressure Pattinson is going for and is paired with his restrained responses to the old salt. Pattinson’s character may be the strangest, certainly in action, and probably unrecognizable to somebody who remembers him as the “Twilight” guy.

The scariest part of “The Lighthouse” might just be its lack of recognition. A film that I would venture to call a masterpiece performed modestly at the box office, but caught little critical recognition outside of Cannes. While that’s of course not the end of the world, as Eggers had obviously done well for himself, it is 100% something that I think anyone interested in movies should see. The approach to making movies that Eggers has as a writer and director has so far proven as captivating. 

Wading into the surf of Eggers’ nautical nightmare might give you a couple chills and some unsavory images, so viewers should be mindful of nudity, sexual content and many other expected elements of a movie about guys going crazy. Eggers’ second foray into horror has all but guaranteed his status as a new voice in horror. With every blare of the foghorn, The Lighthouse toys with its audience; leaving them terrified and confused, but morbidly wanting more. It resembles some of the classics while also carrying a distinct and fresh vision.