The Lighthouse film review

Well. This film lasted for 104 minutes, and in every single one of those it toyed with my head. As good a psychological thriller as I have ever seen. This is possibly one of the strangest film I have ever watched, and because of this it worked perfectly.

Not for a second of this film, did I confidently have a grasp on what was happening, nor what was going to come next. Despite this I was constantly entranced and enticed. This was down to the marvellous and at times terrifying acting of Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, combined with a War of the Worlds style constant ringing. These two created an at times painful environment for the viewer.

The simplest way of describing this films complex premise, is the a limbo — an Inception ending style if you will — narrative. This so due to its countless unanswered and possibly unanswerable questions. Now after watching this film, I couldn’t tell you if ‘something’ was in-fact inside the lighthouse, if Tommy actually buried Tom, if there was even a storm or if it was all within the head of Tommy (Pattinson). Was Tom inside Tommy? Are they one in the same? Or did Tom never even exist at all??

What worked perfectly within this film is not only the constantly complex narrative, but also Willem Dafoe barbarically questioning that same plot he is a part of. He not only plays with Robert Pattinson’s mind and any slight grasp of reality remaining, but that of the viewers.

The simple idea of this film being about two lighthouse keepers, and their attempts to keep their sanity while living on a remote and mysterious island, is one that arguably could describe this film immensely accurately, or not describe this film at all. I think that all matters upon who is watching it.

The acting within this picture cannot be faulted for a single moment. Both shone with their talent, and one even with their eyes for a moment. They together, make this film a masterpiece.

Highly recommend watching.

4* 8.5/10

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