“The Lighthouse” offers great cinematography, Oscar-worthy acting, and a mind-bending, gut-wrenching, horrifying, psychological thriller of a plot, all while elusively evading neat interpretation.
Shot in black-and-white, the film is aesthetically pleasing and artistically stimulating. The camerawork is excellent, and many dramatically framed shots catch the eye.
The setting of the film was excellently, organically established. By showing off specific features of the island throughout many shots, “The Lighthouse” takes the audience right where the characters are living, and makes a few buildings on a rock more memorable than the landscapes of most films.
The haunting score effectively emphasizes the dark undertones of the film.
The performances from Dafoe and Pattinson are phenomenal, and are able to keep the viewer hooked for nearly two hours of screen time.
The plot had me questioning my own sanity at many points, but did go over my head at times. That said, I cannot fault the film for this — confusion was part of the work’s intent.