The Lighthouse a cinematic challenge to watch, but don’t let that put you off
If you think you can pick what intimidating psychological drama The Lighthouse is ultimately up to with this strange, strained state of affairs, you could be in for a rude shock.
Leigh Paatsch
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Spoiler alert: the title of this enigmatically intimidating psychological drama gives away the sole setting of the movie.
So strap yourself in for a claustrophobic stay at a remote lighthouse. Don’t go thinking you’ll always be enjoying the whiskery company of its only two occupants.
Oh, and the year is 1890 or so, by the way. So no-one will be switching on the radio, picking up a phone, or surfing the internet to liven up the vibe.
All you can hear is the sea, the wind, and an occasional exchange of unpleasantries between Wake (Willem Dafoe) and Winslow (Robert Pattinson).
On a good day, these two mismatched “wickies” (sailor slang for lighthouse keepers) might be paid a visit by a seagull or two.
On a bad day – or worse still, any night – the sheer monotony of their shared existence means both men keep forgetting the difference between sane and insane.
If you were asked to wager on who might be the first to snap out of these two, you’d plonk your money on Winslow. A former timberman, he has only recently signed on for life as a wickie.
As for Wake, despite his casual, aye-matey bluster, there is also many a hint that he has spent too long in social exile for his own good.
However, if you think you can pick what The Lighthouse is ultimately up to with this strange, strained state of affairs, you could be in for a rude shock.
Filmed in a stark black-and-white and paced like a funeral procession doing a U-turn in a back alley, this is the perfect date movie for any couples looking to end their relationship.
Best appreciated by those who relish a cinematic challenge.
THE LIGHTHOUSE (M)
Director: Robert Eggers (The Witch)
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe.
Rating: ***
One bright light and two dark souls
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