The Lighthouse (2019), a drama/fantasy/horror directed by Robert Eggers, the same guy who brought us The Witch with Anya Taylor-Joy and Black Phillip (the goat). Essentially a black and white two-hander set on an inhospitable island.

‘Twas ye what damned us, dog, ’twas ye!

At a very basic level this is just two men going mad in (and around) a lighthouse. There’s a lot of nautical and mythical imagery. It’s pretty dark (thematic and literal). ..

What are the best bits (intentionally-vague slight-spoilers)? The early section with the seagull, which may or not be important, is absolutely brutal. The weaving of nautical nonsense with the isolation and inclement weather is pretty atmospheric. The generous use of the word ‘ye’ by Willem Dafoe. Actually, just Willem Dafoe. He is the best bit of most things. It’s like he inhabited the actor from the Guinness ‘surfer’ ad for 2 straight hours. The whole film is a bit weird (in a good way).

What are the worst bits? For all that I enjoyed Willem Dafoe’s salty seadog. I often found Robert Pattinson’s acting a bit jarring. The accent/mannerisms may have been authentic for someone of his description in the 1890s, but I wasn’t convinced. Some of the near-constant dialogue seemed unnecessary and perhaps badly improvised. All the drinking was a bit boring and predictable. I feel like the film would’ve benefitted from more tension, rather than vacillating randomly between irreconcilable enmity and drunken joyfulness.

Is it a horror? Again, if there were more tension, or the outcome (and the reasoning for it) was less predictable, then probably yes. There are arguably horrific moments, and there’s a healthy dose of magical realism, so it’s not far off.

What is it then? It’s a play. It feels like it must be a screenplay derived from an actual theatre production, such is the reliance on dialogue and often cramped scenes. However, it is not based on a play. It’s based on a true story about a lighthouse team of two chaps named Thomas.

Worth it’s 7.4 IMDB rating or simply worthwhile? Yes. Why not? It is essentially what it sets out to be. It’s theatrical and lo-fi, dependant on the quality of the acting and the natural/unnatural/supernatural setting which it occupies for its success. I think it’s a touch overrated, but it’s a noble endeavour and committed, so you can forgive it being less ‘gripping’ or ‘convincingly-acted’ than it arguably could be.