The Lighthouse

For much of The Lighthouse, I was not wholly sure what was going on, which I guess is deliberate as it is never quite clear what is what. What is consistent though is the sense of dread and claustrophobia that comes from the limits of the location and the fear of this unknown threat - whatever it may be. This is not quite good enough to carry the film for its full 110 minutes, because it is a bit too long, but it is enough to grab the viewer and more or less keep them there until the end - more or less.

The narrative isn't much to talk about, but the tone and tension is what works - if it works for you. The manner of delivery of this is an oppressive approach, making the viewer feel uncomfortable and not giving space to get away from it. I thought this aspect of it was done well in many different ways. The selection of the ratio, keeping the shot tight no matter what shot it was; the noise of the sea and sight of the waves; but even the dialogue - which was distracting in some ways but effective in others. The fruity accents and gruff delivery makes it hard to catch every word, but it did cause me to lean in. The performances come with an intensity and realism that sells the film even when so much of it is hard to accept on the face of it.

I do think that for a lot of viewers it will be a reasonable reaction to be put off the film - mainly because feeling uncomfortable for several hours is not an easy experience to sell. For myself I felt a bit of that - at the end that I more appreciated what it did well and how it did it than I actually 'enjoyed' the film as a film. One of those where I'm glad I watched it but am really unlikely to ever watch it again.