The Lighthouse Review

Consider lemon za’atar hummus. It’s familiar, being that it's hummus, yet strange and fresh. When you put it in your mouth, you’re confused. Why does this hummus taste so different? Is it the lemon? Is it the za’atar? Really, it's hard to pinpoint. Those unique ingredients are definitely there, but something else is what makes lemon za’atar hummus stand out. For the hummus, the choices about the inclusion of the ingredients have been well thought out to augment an already amazing product.In The Lighthouse, director Robert Eggers works in very much the same way. The surprisingly captivating story of the two wickies on an isolated island combines with interesting technical and artistic choices about the presentation of said story, both of which take Lighthouse to the next level. Just because a film is black and white and in a 1.19:1 aspect ratio doesn’t mean it’s automatically good; each of those facets are just artistic choices. However, Eggers uses this in conjunction with succinct and articulate sound design, oozing-with-aesthetic cinematography, and a questioning of reality to drive the film forward faster than a bullet. Some might argue that this film doesn’t have a real plot driving it. That argument is entirely bogus. Both Lighthouse and its main character Ephraim (played by Robert Pattinson) have a clear drive and purpose that, by the time you finish watching the film, should be as bright as the light that shines out of the titular lighthouse itself: it’s the lustful allure of fulfilling desire.I had recognized the two main actors from their very mainstream appearances: Willem Dafoe from the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy and Robert Pattinson from his Goblet of Fire appearance (and, of course, Twilight). What I didn’t know about these two leading men was that they had so much expression within them. Dafoe has had a long and fruitful career in acting, but I hadn’t yet separated Pattinson from my mental image of “Oh, he’s the Twilight guy.” Their performances were so dynamic that both of them deserve an Oscar literally this instant. I was especially impressed by Pattinson, who showed us a character complex enough to get me far, far away from that “Twilight guy” mindset. In addition to all the artistic and technical achievements that this film has reached, Pattinson lifts this film up from amazingly crafted to a true contender for Best Picture of 2019.Lighthouse’s limited release is a product of its daringness, something that you can tell easily when you see Ephraim’s hallucinations or the darkness of black-and-white blood onscreen. While Eggers’ technical and creative decisions might be unorthodox and out-of-left field, his direction of the film allows for all of those elements to make sense together. Just like I would highly recommend lemon za’atar hummus, The Lighthouse is something you don’t want to miss.Catch The Lighthouse in select theaters. Soon to come from Pizza FM: a review of the experimental Kanye West album-tie-in documentary Jesus is King.