Directed by Robert Eggers
Written by Max Eggers and Robert Eggers
Starring Willem Dafoe, Robert Pattinson, Valeriia Karaman
Running time 1 hour, 49 minutes
MPAA rating R - because of the mermaid sex, farts and f-bombs 

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport and Benjamin Leonard, Best Boy

“Bad luck to kill a seabird.”

There is a lot to unpack in Robert Eggers’ latest feature, The Lighthouse, so it only made sense to have this review be more of a conversational piece. After you view the film, it will most likely make sense how we arrived at this decision. It is one of those movies that immediately upon exiting the theater there is an urge to discuss every frame that was seen, every sound bite that was heard and all the feels that were experience. Sit back, relax and join Moviejawn’s Old Sport and Best Boy on the high seas to discuss this hypnotic tale of adventure about two lighthouse keepers. 

Best Boy (BB): First off, I think it’s important to note that this film shares very little with Eggers’ first feature, The VVitch. Both are set in early America, have a creepy vibe and are shining examples of craft with beautiful camera and lighting work but I think the similarities end there.

Old Sport (OS): I am so thankful that this was the second film that I saw at TIFF and I had not reached the point of festival fog yet. I was able to take it all in. By the end of the one hour and forty nine minute run time, I found myself submersed once again into a world created by Eggers. I left the theater wishing for a life at sea and being able to whistle like a bird. When it comes to filmmaking of today, Robert Eggers is such a rarity. There are so few directors that are able to bring a story such as this to life in the way that he does. From the sound design, costumes, character creation, overall look and feel of the film there is nothing presented on the silver screen that was an afterthought. Eggers has once again proven that he is a disciplined and meticulous cinephile that just so happens to make movies. 

BB: Indeed! I think there is a comfortability having already shot a film with cinematographer Jarin Blashke for A24 that allowed Eggers to be a bit freer with the rest of his filmmaking. The comedy is certainly more notable and sillier. The madness of the characters gets wilder. At some point, the whole thing breaks down into a drunken frenzy of singing, screaming and fighting that is equal parts hilarity and terror...but what is it all about?

OS: I can tell you this… it is more than just a film about beans and fartz. What I love about a movie like this is, that we both watched the exact same flick, yet walked away with a completely different sentiment on what we were shown. I, of corpse (course, for those not into the whole death thing) am not afraid to admit this, but I know very little about religion and have somewhat stayed rather ignorant to teachings from the bible. I think there may be some of that going on, but I am not quite sure and will have to defer to Ben. For me, though, I think I was so enamored with the overall look and feel of this film, that I am still not quite certain what it is about - other than two lighthouse keepers, stellarly played by Robert Pattinson and Williem Dafoe. It is a film that I will need to re-watch before I am able to provide any further context. This is a movie that I literally want to find myself lost at sea with, so to speak. I’ve already pre-ordered the soundtrack, composed by Mark Korven (also did the tunes for the The VVITCH) and have ordered a sea captain’s hat online, so that should keep me at bay until the blu-ray (maybe a 4K?) release happens. In all seriousness, this movie will probably take me several viewings until I am able to definitively provide an answer as to what it is all about. This world was so surreal that I was left pondering if any of it actually happened at all or was it just a tale of a drunken seafarer that maybe had a little bit too much of the bubbly? 

BB: So what do I think this is REALLY about? It’s a tale of insanity created (or intensified) by solitude. It’s about introspection and maturation. It’s about being stuck in the middle of nowhere with a person you’ve never met before. It’s about not really knowing yourself any better that that person. It’s a slow creep into madness. Or was it a mad dash that only felt like it took ages? And then when you think you’ve got it all sorted out, you’re still asking yourself the most important question of all: “Yer fond of me lobster, ain't ye?” And it’s all told through various literary and religious references that, honestly, seem to get a bit muddled at times, but I think that was the point because, you know, insanity.

OS: Ya know what, I am most certain this movie is also about secrets. One should always mind who they “spill the beans” to. It’s hard to keep the spewing of guts under control though when you overindulge in the liquid courage. I know this from experience and, really, there is only one quick-fix to ensure the smoothest passage over the rocky seas that lie ahead. Once things are out in the open, there is no hiding from the truth. So you might as well accept it, fall into one another’s arms and slow dance by the fire. It is only inevitable one would find themselves in this circumstance, when the “only medicine” for the madness is drink. The other option, which I wouldn’t recommend is to find an axe. I mean, what else are you supposed to do when stranded on a remote island besides pick a fight with a seagull or end up lost in thought… or nightmare?

In select theaters starting Friday, October 18.