With just two films under his belt, Robert Eggers has done something that many filmmakers can spend their entire filmographies searching for - a distinctive style. However, his isn’t one that simply adds intriguing elements to a beloved genre, but offers an entirely new perception of it. The Lighthouse wholly embodies this ideology and is ultimately what makes it Eggers’ best work yet.
What keeps me coming back to this film is the performances given from Robert Pattinson (Young) and Willem Dafoe (Old). As Old, Dafoe gives his best performance yet. He seamlessly shifts between emotions without disrupting the essence of his character - a withered, disgruntled lighthouse keeper. He delivers a range of monologues throughout the film, some of which haunt you for days, and others that fill your heart with sorrow. Pattinson delivers a portrayal of insanity that echoes the work of Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now. It is a slow-burn performance that punctuates the harrowingly gut-wrenching arc of a mild-mannered man succumbing to insanity. At the film’s climax Pattinson is arresting, with the viewer entranced by the downfall of Young - tracing it back in the midst of an ending beyond prediction.
Jarin Blaschke’s cinematography effortlessly accentuates the film’s best qualities. Its aspect ratio immerses the viewer in the film’s setting from the onset, its use of lighting makes the film’s most tense scenes even more riveting, and its camera work fuels the film’s incredible attention to detail. The Lighthouse sees Blaschke’s cinematography converge with Eggers’ core attributes as a filmmaker once again, having worked with Eggers previously on The Witch. Louise Ford, the film’s editor and fellow Eggers alumni, aligns the editing of the film to its core themes very effectively. It progressively unravels the mysteries of the lighthouse while simultaneously blurring the line between reality and delusion for the characters and viewers alike.
The Lighthouse provides a new take on the horror genre, one that is infused with the disturbing ambience of experimental film and the damning introspection of a character study. Individually, it’s core elements are equally strong. Although when combined, they provide a terrifyingly immersive film experience like no other.