Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe lose their shit in ‘The Lighthouse’ (TIFF review)
Let me first say I’m still recovering from this experience. ‘The Lighthouse’ has Robert Pattinson masturbating, Willem Dafoe in love with a light, some farting, and creepy mermaids to boot. I wouldn’t call it a bad experience perse, but it definitely won’t be for everyone.
Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe) has been the lighthouse keeper for as long as he can remember, and he isn't too welcoming when Ephraim Winslow comes over to the remote island to help him.
Winslow works as hard as he can, but it's never enough for the old man. And he definitely isn't going to allow Winslow near the light either.
'The Lighthouse' is two guys getting drunk and slowly going insane on a remote island. What it's not is a story I can quickly layout here for you on the page.
There are times when 'The Lighthouse' feels brilliant, like the seagulls which seem to have it out for Winslow throughout the film. But at other times it's an incoherent mess, where it's hard to understand what the characters are even saying without subtitles.
This is all viewed in black-and-white 4:3, reminiscent of a classic thrillers, and the tone is admittedly very well set.
To really appreciate ‘The Lighthouse’ though, you’d probably have to see it twice. The thing is, I don’t know if I’ll ever really feel like seeing this again.
In the end Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe's performances make it more memorable than forgettable, but the hype for this movie might not be justified for everyone.
#TIFF19 Public Screenings: Sat Sep 7, 9PM / Sun Sep 8, 7:45PM
