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The Lighthouse (2019 film)

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The Lighthouse
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRobert Eggers
Written by
  • Robert Eggers
  • Max Eggers
Produced by
  • Rodrigo Teixeira
  • Jay Van Hoy
  • Robert Eggers
  • Lourenço Sant' Anna
  • Youree Henley
Starring
CinematographyJarin Blaschke
Edited byLouise Ford
Music byMark Korven
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • May 19, 2019 (2019-05-19) (Cannes)
  • October 18, 2019 (2019-10-18) (United States)
Running time
110 minutes[1]
Countries
  • United States
  • Canada
LanguageEnglish
Box office$3.7 million[2][3]

The Lighthouse is a 2019 psychological horror film directed and produced by Robert Eggers, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Max Eggers. Shot in black-and-white, the film follows two lighthouse keepers (portrayed by Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson) who start to lose their sanity when a storm hits the remote island on which they are stationed.

It had its world premiere at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2019, and was released on October 18, 2019, by A24. The film received universal acclaim, with critics highlighting the technical aspects (notably the cinematography and production design), direction, and the performances of Dafoe and Pattinson.

Plot

In the late 19th century, Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson) is sent on a boat to serve a contract job as a wickie for four weeks on an isolated island, under the supervision of an irascible elderly man named Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe). On the first day of the job, Winslow notices that there is a hole in his cot. As he digs into it, he finds a small scrimshaw of a mermaid and stuffs it in his jacket. Winslow observes Wake going up to the top level of the lighthouse at night and stripping naked. Winslow begins experiencing visions and dreams of tentacles in the lighthouse, tree stumps floating in the water, and distant images of a mermaid.

Over the course of his stay, Wake demands Winslow allocate to the more taxing jobs—refueling the light, carrying heavy kerosene containers, and disposing of the two men's chamber pots. As the weeks progress, Winslow repeatedly encounters a one-eyed seagull. Wake warns Winslow that it is bad luck to kill a seagull, as he is superstitious that the animals are reincarnated sailors. The weeks continue, and Winslow frequently masturbates to the figurine of the mermaid, and sees Wake naked up on the top level of the lighthouse. One night at dinner, the two discuss Wake's previous second wickie, who Wake says died shortly after losing his sanity. Winslow reveals that he used to work in Canada as a timberman, but decided to change professions.

The day before Winslow is slated to leave, he notices the water pump is releasing bloody water and investigates. He opens the cistern to see a dead seagull floating inside. The one-eyed seagull flies down and attacks Winslow, who grabs it and beats it to death against the cistern. That afternoon, the winds dramatically change direction. That night, a storm hits the island, and the two men get drunk. The next morning, the ferry does not arrive, and Winslow sees a body washed up on the shore. Winslow approaches the naked body and realizes that it is a mermaid. He runs back into the cottage to find Wake stating that the rations were impacted by the storm. They dig up a crate said to contain extra rations, but it is revealed to only have more alcohol.

More nights progress and the storm continues, and the two men grow closer while remaining adversarial. Winslow unsuccessfully tries to kill Wake in his sleep to steal the key to the top level of the lighthouse. He also has visions of a lobster trap containing the severed, half-blinded head of Wake's previous wickie. One night, Winslow tells Wake that his real name is Thomas Howard, and that he assumed the identity of Ephraim Winslow, a timberman who died in an accident Howard failed to stop. Wake accuses Howard of "spilling his beans" and Howard tries to leave. He attempts to escape on a lifeboat, but Wake destroys the boat with an axe. Wake chases Howard into the cottage, but inside, Wake claims that it was Howard who chased Wake around the island with the axe. With no alcohol left, the two begin mixing spirits out of kerosene, and the storm becomes so powerful that waves crash through the windows of the cottage.

The next morning, Howard finds Wake's log, recording his infractions and recommending severance without pay. Wake jides Howard for his work performance until Howard attacks him. While seeing visions of the mermaid, Wake as a sea monster, and the real Winslow, Howard beats Wake into submission. Howard ties Wake in a rope leash and buries him alive in the ration pit. Howard takes the keys and prepares to go up to the top level of the lighthouse, but Wake appears and hits him in the shoulder with the axe. Howard disarms and kills Wake before ascending the lighthouse to its lamp. He approaches the lamp, and it stops and opens up to him. Howard looks into it with ecstasy and lets out a distorted scream as the light brightens, before falling down the lighthouse steps. Howard is then seen lying naked on the rocks, missing an eye, as several seagulls peck at his innards.

Cast

Production

In February 2018, it was announced Willem Dafoe had been cast in the film, with Robert Eggers directing from a screenplay he wrote with his brother Max Eggers. Youree Henley, Lourenço Sant'Anna, Rodrigo Teixeira and Jay Van Hoy produced the film under their RT Features, New Regency and Parts & Labor banners, respectively.[4][5] Later that month, Robert Pattinson joined the cast.[6]

Principal photography began on April 9, 2018.[7][8] Filming took place in Leif Ericson Park in Cape Forchu, Nova Scotia, Canada, and inside a hangar at Yarmouth International Airport, in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.[9][10] In May 2018, editor Louise Ford said that the film was shot on black and white 35mm film.[11]

Release

The Lighthouse had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in the Directors' Fortnight section on May 19, 2019.[12] It was also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Atlantic Film Festival in September 2019.[13] The film was distributed by A24 in North America and by Focus Features elsewhere in the world.[14] It was released on October 18, 2019.[15]

Reception

Box office

On its limited opening weekend the film made $419,764 from eight theaters, an average of $52,471 per venue.[16] In its second weekend the film expanded to 586 theaters, grossing $1.3 million and finishing seventh at the box office.[17]

Critical response

On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 91% based on 222 reviews, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The site's critics' consensus reads: "A gripping story brilliantly filmed and led by a pair of powerhouse performances, The Lighthouse further establishes Robert Eggers as a filmmaker of exceptional talent."[18] On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 83 out of 100 based on 44 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[19]

Owen Gleiberman of Variety called the film "darkly exciting" and "made with extraordinary skill," commenting that "the movie, building on The Witch, proves that Robert Eggers possesses something more than impeccable genre skill. He has the ability to lock you into the fever of what's happening onscreen."[20] Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph gave the film a perfect score, calling Dafoe's performance "astounding" and comparing Pattinson's to that of Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood, commenting, "That's no comparison to make lightly, but everything about The Lighthouse lands with a crash. It's cinema to make your head and soul ring."[21]

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result
Cannes Film Festival May 25, 2019 FIPRESCI Prize - Directors' Fortnight/Critics' Week Robert Eggers Won[22]

See also

  • Smalls Lighthouse, an 18th-century lighthouse and the site of an incident involving its two caretakers, both named Thomas

References

  1. ^ "Quinzaine Schedule" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on May 1, 2019. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  2. ^ "The Lighthouse (2019)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  3. ^ "The Lighthouse (2019)". The Numbers. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  4. ^ Fleming Jr., Mike (February 7, 2018). "Willem Dafoe Alights For Robert Eggers-Directed 'The Lighthouse'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 15, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  5. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (May 15, 2019). "Focus Takes International On Robert Eggers' 'The Lighthouse' Starring Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe – Cannes". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 15, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  6. ^ Fleming Jr., Mike (February 15, 2018). "Robert Pattinson Joins Robert Eggers' Fantasy Horror Film 'The Lighthouse'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 3, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  7. ^ Thorne, Tara (March 16, 2018). "Dafoe and Pattinson to visit The Lighthouse in Nova Scotia". TheCoast. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  8. ^ "FEATURE FILM – YARMOUTH- BACKGROUND PERFORMERS: BEARDS!". Hennessey Casting. Archived from the original on May 27, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  9. ^ "Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson head to Nova Scotia for The Lighthouse". The Location Guide. Archived from the original on April 14, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  10. ^ "Lighthouse filming project big economic boon for Yarmouth". Yarmouth Vanguard. Archived from the original on April 13, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  11. ^ Nordine, Michael (May 13, 2018). "'The Lighthouse,' Robert Eggers' Follow-Up to 'The Witch,' Will Be Black and White". IndieWire. Archived from the original on May 13, 2018. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
  12. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (April 23, 2019). "Cannes: Directors' Fortnight Includes Robert Pattinson Pic 'The Lighthouse', Takashi Miike, Netflix Film 'Wounds' & Luca Guadagnino Short". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 23, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  13. ^ Lang, Brent (July 23, 2019). "Toronto Film Festival: 'Joker,' 'Ford v Ferrari,' 'Hustlers' Among Big Premieres". Variety. Archived from the original on July 23, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  14. ^ Hopewell, John (May 25, 2019). "Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe's 'The Lighthouse' Wins Cannes Critics' Award". Variety. Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC. Archived from the original on June 8, 2019. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  15. ^ Sharf, Zack (July 30, 2019). "'The Lighthouse' First Trailer: Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe Go Mad in A24 Psychodrama". IndieWire. Archived from the original on July 30, 2019. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  16. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 20, 2019). "'Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil' No Magic With $36M+, 'Joker' Still Stealing 2nd Place From 'Zombieland 2' With $28M+". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  17. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 27, 2019). "'Joker' Has The Edge Over 'Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil' With $18.9M In Fierce Slow Pre-Halloween B.O. Battle". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  18. ^ "The Lighthouse (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on September 19, 2019. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  19. ^ "The Lighthouse (2019)". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  20. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (May 19, 2019). "Film Review: 'The Lighthouse'". Variety. Archived from the original on May 22, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  21. ^ Collin, Robbie (May 19, 2019). "The Lighthouse, review: 'A film that will make your head and soul ring'". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on June 10, 2019. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  22. ^ Haring, Bruce (March 25, 2019). "'The Lighthouse' Wins Fipresci Critics Awards At Cannes Film Festival". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 1, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
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