Stanley Scorsese’s review published on Letterboxd:
After seeing Robert Pattinson in The Lighthouse, I really misjudged him for his acting in the Twilight series. I had not seen Good Time, but since he was fantastic in this film, I will give the film a shot before he comes out with The Batman.
The Lighthouse is the new anticipated 2nd film from Robert Eggers and it’s about 2 lighthouse keepers who slowly start to lose their sanity when a storm hits them on an isolated island off the coast of New England.
Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson were really fantastic in this film! The character development and slow descent into madness in this film were spot on, and it never felt like a waste of time. Pattinson’s acting was superb! He really proved himself to be committed into playing in indie films, and really got into character for this film. But Dafoe’s acting was absolutely outstanding! It’s no surprise that they both get Oscar nominations for acting, but if there’s my opinion, I think Dafoe should win Best Supporting Actor. Because he gives creepy ramblings about tall tales, richness facial expressions, and still proves to be one of the greatest veteran actors of all time!
Eggers really proved to be an outstanding filmmaker after The Witch. He and his brother/co-writer Max Eggers brought real creativity for making realistic dialogue based on real fishermen and lighthouse keepers. I loved how The Lighthouse is looked like a very old film, including the camera frame! I also loved the Greek mythology! The tension between these 2 characters are really on who’s wanting power and control feels poignant. The production design was amazing, and the cinematography was bravura, it’s such a real piece of art!
This is one of the best films from this year! Joker is still my number 1 favorite, but The Lighthouse might be my 2nd favorite, along with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Us being 3rd and 4th. Robert Eggers, Jordan Peele, and Ari Aster have made really impressive sophomore attempts in their careers in 2019 for horror films, and I will remember them for their achievements!
I’m giving The Lighthouse 4.5 stars!
