Dir. Robert Eggers | Now Streaming On: Paramount+ | Rating: 2/5

This review is going to make me some enemies, but I’ve dug my grave deep so this month that I truly don’t care at this point. The Lighthouse is a well acted, cinematically gorgeous, and committed period piece. But it’s pacing and script drag so much, it’s barely palatable, let alone understandable.

Robert Pattison and William DaFoe give knockout performances in this. Their chemistry and grasp on this old English dialogue makes for an intriguing first half hour. This quickly breaks down as we become lost in symbolism and Freudian banter. This is a dragging sausage fest with little return on its promise of horror until the final 20 minutes.

The Lighthouse is not an easily understood or digested story, especially if you’re looking to delve under the dark comedy and character study on the surface. You need to understand old English, be able to interpret Freudianism, and then maybe with a hope, a wish, and a prayer you’ll find the Oedipal story of madness at it’s core. If that’s even what you think this movie is about – your guess is as good as mine.

I feel so torn on this film. There’s too many penises and impenetrable metaphor for the vast majority of audiences to understand this. But it is an impressive piece stylistically. Beyond the arthouse community, I really question its commercial prowess. It has become iconic in the horror community, but is it for the right reasons? And does it matter if it is?

I can’t whole heartedly recommend this to a casual horror viewer, or even a causal film viewer. After watching this 3 times, I still don’t know if I entirely get what this film is trying to do, and none of my watches were enjoyable. The Lighthouse makes you work for your viewing experience, then delivers very few rewards.

Know Before You Watch: Features sex, nudity, blood, animal death, flashing lights, gore.