Gemma Creagh shines a light on Robert Eggers' 2020 indie horror.
Originally released in cinemas in January 2020, The Lighthouse tells the story of two people stuck in isolation together who eventually descend into complete madness. An unfortunate premise that was months ahead of becoming reality for many.
This dark tale begins in the brutal, industrial 19th century, where Winslow (Robert Pattinson) is sent to work for four weeks as a ‘wickie’ in a New England lighthouse. His daily tasks include throwing containers of poo into the sea, moving lots of heavy things up and down stairs, pouring powder into a hole with sludge water, and constantly cleaning, all of which he reluctantly performs while being berated by the grotesque Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe). When Thomas isn’t farting or slapping Winslow for talking about birds disrespectfully, he’s cooking mysterious meals and giving long-winded monologues about his time on the sea.
After their trying stint of working together, the pair get ready to leave. Unfortunately, Winslow violently bludgeons an antagonistic seagull to death, and apparently in doing so, incurs the wrath of a terrible storm. Due to the violent waves, Thomas and Winslow’s replacements fail to show up, and both men are stranded on the island indefinitely. At this point, supernatural forces come into play. Severed heads in baskets, mermaid-induced self-gratification, Pattinson-on-Defoe slow dancing; all these elements, be they real or imagined, begin to put a strain on the men’s distrustful relationship.
The focal point of the narrative is the power struggle between these two males; the constantly shifting dynamics mean they are buddies one moment, boss and subordinate another. So the offence caused by Winslow’s lack of appreciation for Thomas’s lobster? Phew. In many ways, this is a particularly cold two-handed character study, with little empathy or interest in delving beneath the hood of their warped psychology. These men are infantilised.
The Lighthouse was shot on black-and-white 35mm film and in a narrow aspect ratio, and what this film does exceptionally well is layering image and sound to create moments that are very impactful. The lighting, framing, production design, and playful effects all aid in hammering home the violence, as well as the silliness, at certain points.
Directed, produced, and co-written by Robert Eggers, this film was shot for the reasonably low budget of $4 million. The genre, however, remains somewhat of an enigma. While many descriptions claim it to be a psychological horror film, it also shows elements of being a pitch-black, gross-out stoner film; an experimental student play; or simply an endurance test for the viewer.
The Lighthouse is available to stream online now.
