News
TIFF Review: ‘The Lighthouse’ is Not For the Faint of Heart
Robert Eggers’ sophomore follow-up to 2015’s The Witch is a gradual descent into madness; a journey not for the faint of heart.
The Lighthouse follows two lighthouse keepers on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s. As their time on the island progresses, their patience wears thin and an obsession develops around the brilliant beacon of the lighthouse.
Visually, the film is stunning. Shot in black and white with a 4:3 ratio, the cinematography grips its subject and holds tight. Entire monologues are held with an unblinking eye, driving the incredible performances from stars Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe deep through so you can feel their intensity in your bones.
As The Lighthouse progresses, the camera echoes the characters’ slip on sanity by increasingly leaning on dutch angles, putting the audience ill-at-ease. The lighting – as with The Witch – appears to be all done naturally; scenes are awash with natural daylight and shadowed by the light of a single lantern in a dark room. For a film that is built around a growing obsession with a beacon of light, every change in lighting feels emphasized, particularly in the stark black and white coloring.
The imagery found within The Lighthouse is entwined in beautiful tableaux seeping with symbolism. Maritime superstitions and mythology flow throughout the film, washing over the action and crashing into the story like waves, pulling the characters under.
Robert Pattinson digs in with a tortured performance that puts DiCaprio’s in The Revenant to shame. He physically toils scene after scene after scene, exhausting the audience and drumming up immediate empathy for his struggles. Both Pattinson and Dafoe leave it all on the table; they suffer greatly for the sake of the film, and it’s incredible to watch. Their collaborative commitment to constantly one-up each other on the scale of insanity is wildly impressive.
Dafoe is completely lost in his character, so much so that his strong accent and mumbling dialogue can be difficult to suss out at times. There’s one particularly earth-shattering monologue that reverberates on screen that – thankfully – is spat out with such passion that it’s much clearer than some of his other ramblings. Though it can be challenging to track exactly what he’s saying, he’s always easy to follow thanks to Dafoe’s crystal clear performance.
When it comes to monologues, The Lighthouse is blessed with some real knockouts. Pattinson and Dafoe rise to the challenge and deliver gripping performances that speak to their raw talent as actors. Eggers knows the level of skill he’s working with and captures their tirades with the utmost respect, allowing them to flex their artistic muscles.
Surprisingly, The Lighthouse actually has some moments of real humor peppered in. These bits of levity are drawn from the overall absurdity of the film and build on the relationship between our two main (and only) characters — though they’re not exactly jovial. Their constant battle turns from a one-sided verbal thrashing to a hypnotic dance of toxic camaraderie.
Eggers has proven himself to be one of the most exciting directors working in genre cinema today. The Lighthouse has so much bubbling under the surface, and as the film progresses, it boils over and floods every inch of the screen with unhinged madness. Eggers is extraordinarily talented and we can’t wait to see what he does next.
All that said, The Lighthouse is not for everyone. It’s definitely a slow burn, and it may be a bit too off-kilter for some audiences. But if you approach the film with patience and an open mind, there is a lot to take away. It’s not an easy journey, but it’s one you won’t soon forget.
For more on TIFF 2019, check out our interview with Midnight Madness programmer Peter Kuplowsky and the full 2019 Midnight Madness lineup.
'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?
Follow our new YouTube channel "Mysteries and Movies" here.
Movies
Trailer for ‘The Exorcism’ Has Russell Crowe Possessed
The latest exorcism movie is about to drop this summer. It’s aptly titled The Exorcism and it stars Academy Award winner turned B-movie savant Russell Crowe. The trailer dropped today and by the looks of it, we are getting a possession movie that takes place on a movie set.
Just like this year’s recent demon-in-media-space film Late Night With the Devil, The Exorcism happens during a production. Although the former takes place on a live network talk show, the latter is on an active sound stage. Hopefully, it won’t be entirely serious and we’ll get some meta chuckles out of it.
The film will open in theaters on June 7, but since Shudder also acquired it, it probably won’t be long after that until it finds a home on the streaming service.
Crowe plays, “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play. The film also stars Sam Worthington, Chloe Bailey, Adam Goldberg and David Hyde Pierce.”
Crowe did see some success in last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist mostly because his character was so over-the-top and infused with such comical hubris it bordered on parody. We will see if that is the route actor-turned-director Joshua John Miller takes with The Exorcism.
'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?
Follow our new YouTube channel "Mysteries and Movies" here.
News
Win a Stay at The Lizzie Borden House From Spirit Halloween
Spirit Halloween has declared that this week marks the start of spooky season and to celebrate they are offering fans a chance to stay at the Lizzie Borden House with so many perks Lizzie herself would approve.
The Lizzie Borden House in Fall River, MA is claimed to be one of the most haunted houses in America. Of course one lucky winner and up to 12 of their friends will find out if the rumors are true if they win the grand prize: A private stay in the notorious house.
“We are delighted to work with Spirit Halloween to roll out the red carpet and offer the public a chance to win a one-of-a-kind experience at the infamous Lizzie Borden House, which also includes additional haunted experiences and merchandise,” said Lance Zaal, President & Founder of US Ghost Adventures.
Fans can enter to win by following Spirit Halloween‘s Instagram and leaving a comment on the contest post from now through April 28.
The prize also includes:
An exclusive guided house tour, including insider insight around the murder, the trial, and commonly reported hauntings
A late-night ghost tour, complete with professional ghost-hunting gear
A private breakfast in the Borden family dining room
A ghost hunting starter kit with two pieces of Ghost Daddy Ghost Hunting Gear and a lesson for two at US Ghost Adventures Ghost Hunting Course
The ultimate Lizzie Borden gift package, featuring an official hatchet, the Lizzie Borden board game, Lily the Haunted Doll, and America’s Most Haunted Volume II
Winner’s choice of a Ghost Tour experience in Salem or a True Crime experience in Boston for two
“Our Halfway to Halloween celebration provides fans an exhilarating taste of what’s to come this fall and empowers them to start planning for their favorite season as early as they please,” said Steven Silverstein, CEO of Spirit Halloween. “We have cultivated an incredible following of enthusiasts who embody the Halloween lifestyle, and we’re thrilled to bring the fun back to life.”
Spirit Halloween is also preparing for their retail haunted houses. On Thursday, August 1 their flagship store in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. will officially open to start off the season. That event usually draws in hordes of people eager to see what new merch, animatronics, and exclusive IP goods will be trending this year.
'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?
Follow our new YouTube channel "Mysteries and Movies" here.
Movies
’28 Years Later’ Trilogy Taking Shape With Serious Star Power
Danny Boyle is revisiting his 28 Days Later universe with three new films. He will direct the first, 28 Years Later, with two more to follow. Deadline is reporting that sources say Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes have been cast for the first entry, a sequel to the original. Details are being kept under wraps so we don’t know how or if the first original sequel 28 Weeks Later fits into the project.
Boyle will direct the first movie but it’s unclear which role he will take on in the subsequent films. What is known is Candyman (2021) director Nia DaCosta is scheduled to direct the second film in this trilogy and that the third will be filmed immediately afterward. Whether DaCosta will direct both is still unclear.
Alex Garland is writing the scripts. Garland is having a successful time at the box office right now. He wrote and directed the current action/thriller Civil War which was just knocked out of the theatrical top spot by Radio Silence’s Abigail.
There is no word yet on when, or where, 28 Years Later will start production.
The original film followed Jim (Cillian Murphy) who wakes from a coma to find that London is currently dealing with a zombie outbreak.
'Civil War' Review: Is It Worth Watching?
Follow our new YouTube channel "Mysteries and Movies" here.
-
News6 days ago
Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role
-
Strange and Unusual6 days ago
Man Arrested for Allegedly Taking a Severed Leg From Crash Site And Eating It
-
Editorial6 days ago
7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch
-
News4 days ago
Original Blair Witch Cast Ask Lionsgate for Retroactive Residuals in Light of New Film
-
Movies5 days ago
Spider-Man With a Cronenberg Twist in This Fan-Made Short
-
Movies6 days ago
Cannabis-Themed Horror Movie ‘Trim Season’ Official Trailer
-
News2 days ago
Perhaps the Scariest, Most Disturbing Series of The Year
-
Movies3 days ago
New F-Bomb Laden ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Trailer: Bloody Buddy Movie
You must be logged in to post a comment Login