Bleak and brooding, "The Lighthouse" is a study of the descent into madness of two lighthouse keepers, stranded beyond their original four week assignment, and despairing in the fate of their existence together. Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe) and Tom Howard (Robert Pattinson) are alternately at each others' throats or gleefully imbibing their way into a state of stupor, at one point suggesting a homoerotic encounter, but quickly devolving into yet another fit of pique. Of the two, it's Pattinson's character who eventually experiences visions and nightmares as he goes about his daily chores, subservient to the demands of his nominal supervisor Wake. Cinematically, the picture reminded me of all those great black and white films of the Thirties and Forties emanating from the silent era. It even has a 'B' quality look, though the subject matter goes beyond the simplistic efforts of early film, and challenges the viewer with a myriad of interpretations one could assign to the story. That the fate of the two men ends so tragically is no wonder given the exposition, and you'll come away convinced that it's bad luck to kill a seabird.

"The Lighthouse" is one of the strangest films I've ever seen. Describing it or even knowing whether or not I liked it is pretty difficult. Suffice to say, it was is a very, very unique movie...one that is quite haunting and difficult.

The story is set in the late 19th century and a lighthouse keeper (Willem Dafoe) and his assistant (Rob Pattinson) arrive at the facility for their tour of duty. At first, things seem pretty mundane, though over time they both seem to be losing their minds...Pattinson's character in particular. Where it goes from there is ugly, disturbing and weird.

This is definitely NOT a film for everyone. In fact, I'd go so far as to say most people probably would not like the film....and fewer yet would really enjoy it. But it also is a wholly original viewing experience and I can respect the folks who made it. The acting is good....and it feels much like peeking inside the mind of a madman. Overall, not enjoyable but also pretty amazing.

THE LIGHTHOUSE is the latest spooky old lighthouse story which takes the true story of a mysterious disappearance in the late 19th century and uproots it to New England, where Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson are well cast as a couple of lighthouse keepers going out of their minds. I've seen numerous screen adaptations of this story in recent years, the best being the low budget monster flick COLD SKIN, but this one's a real bore by comparison. It's made by the guy who did THE WITCH - which I enjoyed, to a degree - and is a typical arthouse movie with zero storyline and close attention to stylistics and histrionic acting over any kind of depth. I found it a slog to sit through, an endless array of intense performances combined with a lack of narrative cohesion, structure, and storyline. The old "going mad" plot has been done to death and this adds nothing new, although Dafoe and Pattinson are good and it has a nice look to it at least.