The Lighthouse

Featuring explosive and career-defining performances from Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, "The Lighthouse" is a thriller-horror feature brimming with nautical mythology set against the painstakingly-recreated backdrop of the late 1800s, brought to life with accuracy never seen before by visionary director Robert Eggers. Previously known for his work on "The Witch," Eggers has been renowned for his ability to bring out the inherent terror in natural settings, and to show that true horror does not originate from monsters, but from the humans who created them. Willem Dafoe plays Thomas Wake, an old lighthouse keeper performing his monthly duty of watching after his station, and along with him is Ephraim Winslow, his helper, or 'wickie.' The dialogue of the film is inspired by the actual writings of lighthouse keepers and other nautical-oriented workers taken from this period, and provides much to the otherworldly nature this film tends to take on. It's a thriller that will leave you both entranced and ready to leap out of your seat at a moment's notice, and that sort of emotional and tonal control is another thing that transcends Eggers work to something incredible. I cannot recommend this movie enough, and could never hope to encapsulate the feelings it invokes by mere text. I implore you, watch this as soon as possible; it is a must-watch for any movie connoisseur.