Best Actor contender Pattinson, who continues to grow with every film, and Supporting Actor veteran Dafoe are brilliant as they navigate Eggers’ tricky archaic dialogue (“Moby Dick” was a source, along with period lighthouse diaries). Filmed in inclement weather in Nova Scotia, “The Lighthouse” is a genre hybrid, neither total horror nor pensive drama.
When the older lighthouse keeper isn’t bullying his strapping new assistant, he’s infatuated by the powerful light beam they are serving, as well as healthy doses of strong spirits.ĭafoe goes toe-to-toe with Pattinson in this claustrophobic two-hander, shot with black-and-white 35mm film and in Academy ratio. Dafoe approached Eggers to tell him how much he admired “The Witch,” and eagerly signed on to this ghost tale concocted by Eggers’ brother Max, who collaborated with the director on researching and developing the story, which strands on a storm-buffeted rocky island two strangers forced to become co-workers - and roommates.
