He believed there was some enchantment in the light..

A powerhouse of acting chops with mermaids, revenants, psycho sexual desires, deluges of near biblical proportions and an even greater abundance of strong liquor amongst the debris. But somehow I still ended up admiring The Lighthouse more than I actually loved it.

As a technical feat, from production design to sound design, this is something entirely special with Jarin Blaschkes grainy black-and-white camera work being deliciously transporting. This whole film feels entirely convincing thanks to Eggers laborious love for period accuracy within every detail of his world and characters. 

On the storytelling side, I do prefer The Witch’s subtle horror as compared to this visceral and manic experience. Even the dialect for me within his previous folkloric tale was more understandable and felt like it fit more coherently with what was unfolding on screen. That said, this is more about the shifting power dynamics than it is about a straight-forward story, and seeing these two keepers pounce and go mad due to their circumstances is executed pretty flawlessly for what it is.

Nevertheless, just like my experience with The Witch, this is gonna require rewatches for me to fully grasp and appreciate Robert Eggers attention to detail. Research into lighthouse keepers, the tall tales and their dialect is something I’m already doing as I write this up. Although, I can’t not understate that my initial reaction with The Witch was far more euphoric than it was with this. I’m still somehow feeling like his previous New England nightmare could’ve been a follow up to his newest work in many ways. 

It must also be said that my love for Robert Eggers remains at an all time high, and this only solidifies his talent in delivering obscure and challenging stuff to the masses. 

I really cannot wait to see what he does next, if not for his fantastic sounding Viking revenge story.