October Horror Movie Challenge: The Lighthouse (2019)

 This one has been on my "to-watch" list for a while now. Figure with today being "Slow Burn," this would be a great night for it. Plus Robert Eggers (who gave us the amazing "The Witch") does this sort of tale well.

The Lighthouse (2019)

Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson) is sent to work as a "Wickie" on a remote lighthouse on the New England coast with Thomas Wake (William Dafoe). The movie starts out moody and even a little claustrophobic in Black & White and 4:3 aspect ratio. Plus, there is no talking until we are 7 mins into the film.

It is obvious from the start that Winslow and Wake will not get along. Wake has Winslow doing all the menial tasks while he saves the prestigious task of manning the light (often completely naked) for himself.

The tension between the two builds throughout Winslow's two-week stay. It builds to head when after two weeks of abuse (and maybe some hallucinations) Winslow finally has a drink with Wake.  There is a storm coming and things get worse between the two men. Winslow keeps seeing a mermaid (Valeriia Karaman), getting attacked by seagulls, and even seeing a large tentacle in the light room.

They also continue to drink and when the alcohol runs out, and the secret stash as well, they switch to drinking turpentine and honey. The last few days become a strange mix of paranoia and hallucination. We learn that Winslow's real name is Thomas Howard and that he let his former boss the real Ephraim Winslow, die.  

The weather and their attitudes worsen. Winslow/Howard finds the head of his predecessor in the lobster trap. He reads Wake's logbook and discovers that Wake has be saying it is Winslow who is abusive and wants to not pay him for the last two weeks. They run out of food.

Eventually, it all comes to a boiling point. Wake tries to kill Winslow/Howard with an axe, but he manages to kill Wake. He goes up to the light and opens the lens only scream in horror and fall down the steps.

We end with nearly dead Winslow/Howard lying on the rocks as seagulls pick at his insides.

It was certainly a slow burn with more happening in the last few hours of the story than the first two weeks. Eggers does a great job on building tension and suspense. Plus you are never exactly sure what is going on which is also quite effective.

Glad I finally took the time to watch it.

October Horror Movie Challenge 2023
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