Dir: Robert Eggers

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Willem Dafoe
Robert Pattinson

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Eggers takes audiences on an utterly twisted journey in this astounding character film about two lighthouse keepers suffering with severe cabin fever. Robert Pattinson supports Willem Dafoes lead in this experimental, black and white, mess of a film. But when I say mess, it’s meant as the biggest compliment possible, this film is a work of art. 

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I genuinely don’t know where to start. It was both everything I expected it to be and also nothing like I imagined. I have to start by highlighting the absolutely mind blowing performances from both Pattinson and Dafoe. Unbelievable. To the point that I actually exhaled in that way football fans do when their team nearly scores when Dafoe finished his first monologue. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. The script was so intricately created, the amount of research that must have gone into the dialogue, particularly for Dafoe’s character, was mind blowing. Spoken with such honesty and so fluently, it really is such a powerful collaboration from both director and actor to perfect this character and his mannerisms.

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There were moments throughout that I thought I’d sussed the plot and then we were taken down a completely unexpected path. The pace was perfect and smooth whilst also being completely discomforting. Eggers has an extraordinary talent to keep the audience guessing whilst also knowing exactly what’s going on. 

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Filmed in 1:1 aspect ratio there are moments that the camera is completely out of focus, the framing is off or it’s so dark you can’t even tell which character is on screen but something about all these sloppy, well thought out decisions is completely captivating. There are moments when the actors look straight down the lens which is so unusual but so compelling. 

 

With his beautiful Chaplin-esque moments and nods to Hitchcock and Kubrick it really is a masterpiece, Eggers has proved himself as an unbelievable auteur and true master of his art. Absolutely outstanding and instantly iconic.