--- title: "The Lighthouse" year: 2019 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-lighthouse" fi1m_id: "the-lighthouse" imdb_id: "tt7984734" tmdb_id: 503919 wikidata_id: "Q55402791" fi1m_score: 82 critics_score: 84 critics_reviews: 17 published: "2026-09-16" updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:37.770875+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Lighthouse (2019) Directed by Robert Eggers · 1h 49m · MPA R · Drama, Fantasy, Thriller ## Identity The Lighthouse - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-lighthouse - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** the-lighthouse - **IMDb ID:** tt7984734 - **TMDB ID:** 503919 - **Wikidata ID:** Q55402791 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7984734/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/503919, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55402791 **Fi1m score: 82** · Critics 84 from 17 reviews *In a sentence:* A lighthouse is a poor place to discover that your colleague enjoys a monologue > Robert Eggers makes a cramped, foul-tempered horror film with an excellent, frequently funny pair of performances. Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe keep it compelling even when the quarrelling begins to repeat itself. ## Synopsis In the nineteenth century, a younger assistant (Robert Pattinson) takes up work at an isolated lighthouse alongside Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe). A Departing Wickie (Shaun Clarke) leaves the station, and the two men have work and living quarters to share. Wake expects obedience; the assistant wants to get through his posting without surrendering to the older man’s bullying. Their days bring quarrels, crude humour and talk of maritime superstition. With little company except each other, the younger man has to contend with a keeper whose appetite for giving orders is matched by his willingness to keep talking. ## Review Robert Eggers gets a fine, disagreeable horror film out of two lighthouse keepers who cannot leave each other alone. *The Lighthouse* is worth the confinement, with a warning that its repeated confrontations eventually become tiring. The isolation gives every insult time to fester and every assertion of authority far too much importance. There is something recognisable in the difficulty of working alongside somebody determined to get under the skin. Willem Dafoe’s Thomas Wake is a bully whose enthusiasm for his own voice would make a short shift feel long. The elaborate period dialogue, written by Robert Eggers, gives him plenty to enjoy, and he makes the old keeper’s authority both threatening and faintly ridiculous. We laughed at the relish with which he turns a quarrel into a performance. The comedy comes from the disproportion between two men stuck together and the grandeur with which one of them insists on speaking. Robert Pattinson has the harder task: keeping the younger man’s resentment legible against that much theatrical force. His discomfort gives the bullying somewhere to land, and his growing willingness to compete keeps the pairing from settling into a simple routine. Neither actor treats the crude humour as a break from the unpleasantness. The jokes make the proximity worse, because these men cannot even be disgusting in private. Jarin Blaschke’s black-and-white cinematography gives the faces a harshness that makes even a quiet exchange uneasy. The near-square frame leaves little space beside the men; putting two bodies into it can feel like the start of an argument. Craig Lathrop’s production design keeps the cramped setting believable, with period detail that never feels like an invitation to admire the furnishings. We believe in the unpleasant business of living there, which matters when the imagery becomes harder to take literally. Louise Ford’s editing gives the verbal contests enough room for a change of tone to become uncomfortable. A scene can remain funny after it has also become threatening, and cutting away too briskly would spoil that. Mark Korven’s score adds to the heavy, abrasive soundscape, making the confinement feel more oppressive. At times the combined noise presses harder than it needs to; the performances have already made the danger clear. The difficulty is finding somewhere for all this pressure to go. Once the pattern of provocation and retaliation is established, further rounds do not always tell us much more about either man. The director keeps adding strangeness, but some of the later excess feels laboured, and the 109 minutes could be leaner. Ambiguity suits this sort of horror; a literal explanation would scarcely improve it. What we wanted was a little more variation in the encounters, rather than another increase in intensity. Yet the humour gives the film something that solemn exercises in isolation often lack. These men can be petty, embarrassing and absurd without becoming safe to be around, and the actors preserve that uncertainty when the story starts to circle. There is enough pleasure in watching them compete to justify the repetitive stretches. Give it an evening when a quarrel will not spoil the mood. *Fi1m score 82, published 16 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics respond warmly to The Lighthouse, with praise centred on Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson’s combative performances and Robert Eggers’ oppressive atmosphere. The black-and-white photography, cramped frame, period dialogue and abrasive soundscape draw repeated approval for making the keepers’ isolation feel suffocating. Many reviews also find considerable comedy in the pair’s bluster and competitive machismo. For its admirers, the humour makes the psychological horror more unsettling rather than softening it. Reservations centre on repetition, thin storytelling and whether the film has enough dramatic development to sustain its intensity. Even favourable reviews sometimes find it exhausting or overlong, while the broader response ranges from enthusiasm to marked dissatisfaction. The Guardian questions Pattinson’s performance and finds that the imagery overwhelms a coherent story. The New York Times praises both leads but sees too little beneath the style, making narrative substance the clearest point of disagreement. ## Straight answers **Is The Lighthouse worth watching?** *The Lighthouse* is worth watching for anyone who can bear two hours confined with two bad-tempered men, and we scored it 82. Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson are excellent and often funny, and the black-and-white, near-square photography makes the isolation press on the viewer. The rounds of quarrelling do repeat themselves, and the later strangeness feels laboured in places. **How long is The Lighthouse, and what is it rated?** *The Lighthouse* runs 1h 49m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a drama and fantasy film. **Where can I watch The Lighthouse in the US?** *The Lighthouse* is streaming on HBO Max, The Roku Channel, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $2.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is The Lighthouse, and is it suitable for children?** *The Lighthouse* carries a UK 15 certificate, so it is not for children, and we would not recommend it for younger teenagers either. It is a horror film built on bullying, crude humour and an abrasive, oppressive soundtrack rather than constant shocks, and its imagery grows harder to take literally as it goes on. The squeamish will find the tone more unpleasant than gory. **What should I watch after The Lighthouse?** After *The Lighthouse*, try [*Hour of the Wolf*](https://film.one/film/hour-of-the-wolf) (1968, Fi1m 74): An island retreat where an artist’s fears make domestic life increasingly frightening. Then [*Woman in the Dunes*](https://film.one/film/woman-in-the-dunes) (1964, Fi1m 88): Hard labour and enforced intimacy, with sand making escape an exhausting business; and [*The Exterminating Angel*](https://film.one/film/the-exterminating-angel) (1962, Fi1m 87): For more confinement, failing manners and absurd behaviour treated with complete seriousness. ### Reviews we read (25) - **Radio Times**, Emma Simmonds (5/5): Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson are unforgettable adversaries in this eerie, unnerving two-hander. Eggers conjures an oppressive and unpredictable atmosphere with captivating chiaroscuro-rich cinematography that remains horribly effective to the last. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-vwmf25/the-lighthouse/) - **The i Paper**, Demetrios Matheou (★★★★★): Eggers delivers another deeply atmospheric concoction that creates mystery and unease through its boxy black-and-white frame, cacophonous soundscape and fruity period dialogue. The mismatched leads, especially Dafoe’s relish as the tyrannical old salt, make for a gripping, mirthful descent into madness. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/the-lighthouse-review-a-deeply-atmospheric-maniacal-horror-392528) - **The Telegraph** (5/5): Pattinson and Dafoe deliver astounding, career-highlight performances in this ferociously entertaining two-hander that lands with tremendous impact. It is an essential cinematic experience full of audacious energy and unforgettable imagery. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/lighthouse-review-film-will-make-head-soul-ring/) - **Los Angeles Times**, Justin Chang (90/100, inferred): Pattinson and Dafoe mesmerize in Eggers' bleak, blisteringly funny descent into cabin-fever madness and psychological warfare. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2019-10-16/the-lighthouse-review-robert-pattinson-willem-dafoe) - **Total Film** (90/100, inferred): Eggers proves The Witch was no fluke with an oppressively nightmarish two-hander that does for lighthouses what The Shining did for hotels. Dafoe and Pattinson dazzle in a claustrophobic, peerlessly atmospheric monochrome exercise in maritime madness. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-lighthouse-review/) - **RogerEbert.com**, Matt Zoller Seitz (3.5/4): The critic praises the film's intense performances and atmospheric dread but notes its repetitive descent into madness can feel exhausting. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-lighthouse-2019) - **Empire**, John Nugent (85/100, inferred): Eggers’ dazzling, demented follow-up is a tall folk tale soaked in superstition, myth and striking imagery that explores masculinity, sexuality and shame through two actors at the top of their game. It is hypnotic, funny and unsettling in equal measure, if occasionally inaccessible. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-lighthouse/) - **The AV Club**, A.A. Dowd (B+): The review frames the film as a pitch-black comedy of cabin fever and competitive machismo, highlighting the hoot-worthy performances by Pattinson and Dafoe in their war of wills. It finds the artisanal dread somewhat shtick-like with little room for escalation but calls it borderline brilliant as comedy. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/the-lighthouse-is-an-insanely-inspired-buddy-comedy-in-1839102366) - **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (70/100, inferred): Eggers delivers a mad, crammed whirlpool of oddities with strong monologues and performances, though the second half tilts into overwrought parody. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/10/28/the-lighthouse-is-salted-with-madness) - **The Guardian** (55/100, inferred): The film conjures strong mood and atmosphere but sacrifices coherent storyline for technical exercises and overwrought imagery. Dafoe is credible but Pattinson struggles, with lewd humour undermining deeper meaning. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/feb/02/the-lighthouse-review-robert-pattinson-willem-dafoe-the-witch-robert-eggers) - **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis (50/100, inferred): The film is a visually striking but ultimately hollow exercise in style and male torment, with strong turns from its leads undermined by thin narrative. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/24/movies/the-lighthouse-review.html) - **Evening Standard**, David Sexton: The film is a pressure-cooker two-hander in which two mismatched lighthouse keepers drive each other mad in isolation. It is praised as a meticulously staged, stylistically bold piece of grand guignol with extraordinary performances from Dafoe and Pattinson. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-lighthouse-review-a-dark-tale-of-men-madness-and-twisted-fantasies-a4349831.html) - **Screen Daily**: Robert Eggers follows up The Witch with a tense, claustrophobic psychological thriller about two 19th-century lighthouse keepers. It provides a marvellous chamber-drama platform for Pattinson and Dafoe, with starkly compelling expressionist black-and-white photography. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-lighthouse-cannes-review/5139661.article) - **Sight and Sound**, Samuel Wigley: The critic finds more texture than substance in this salty tale of two lighthouse keepers descending into cabin fever. He praises the salty dialogue, performances by Dafoe and Pattinson, and enveloping craft and atmosphere but notes the narrative sails a readily predictable course. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/lighthouse-review-willem-dafoe-robert-pattinson-square-weatherbeaten-two-hander) - **Slant Magazine**, Sam C. Mac: The critic commends Eggers for loosening veracity to allow absurdism and humor to emerge in this grotesque, hilarious genre pastiche, with strong performances from Dafoe and Pattinson driving the one-upmanship and psychological unraveling. It notes the self-aware pastiche succeeds without smugness or full parody, marking a breakthrough. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-lighthouse-review-robert-eggers/) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney: The critic praises the gripping performances by Dafoe and Pattinson along with the meticulous period detail and bracing originality of Eggers' claustrophobic second feature. It notes the film is a tad too drawn out for a single-setting two-hander but demands to be seen for its immersive world and transfixing descent into madness. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/lighthouse-review-cannes-2019-1212078/) - **The Times**, Kevin Maher (★★★★☆): Dafoe and Pattinson dazzle in this stylish, unhinged horror about 19th-century lighthouse keepers, delivering mesmerising and sympathetic performances amid dreamlike symbolism and classical nods. It is disturbing yet rewarding and worth seeking out. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/the-lighthouse-review-dafoe-and-pattinson-dazzle-in-the-darkness-f8gkbcw35) - **Vulture**: The piece highlights the film's even trippier elements compared to The Witch, focusing on Pattinson and Dafoe's descent into madness amid exhaustive period detail and unsettling imagery in a square aspect ratio. It emphasizes the weird, unsettling, and often hilarious moments like seagull violence and hallucinatory sequences. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2019/10/the-lighthouse-might-be-even-trippier-than-the-witch.html) - **/Film**, Jason Gorber (9/10): The critic finds the film an acerbic, haunting tale of maritime madness and mayhem that is muddy, murky, melancholic, yet eminently hilarious and entertaining. Dafoe and Pattinson form a dream pair delivering gravitas and goofiness in a perverse, preposterous, brilliant work. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/566559/the-lighthouse-review/) - **NME**, Elizabeth Aubrey (90/100, inferred): Describes it as an extraordinary and unsettling film that ranks among the most gripping horrors of recent years, praising the towering performances, dense literary script, and immersive blend of horror, dark comedy and psychological drama. Notes it re-writes the genre afresh. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/the-lighthouse-review-robert-pattinson-2556781) - **The Ringer**, Manuela Lazic (90/100, inferred): The film is a wholly original masterwork that is both hilarious and creepy, blurring fable and reality in a way that illuminates the characters' fragility and terror. It singles out Eggers's inventive black-and-white filmmaking style and authentic period dialect for particular praise. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2019/05/20/movies/the-lighthouse-review-robert-pattinson-willem-dafoe-robert-eggers) - **The Wrap** (85/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's immersive black-and-white fever dream and the demented performances of Pattinson and Dafoe as two lighthouse keepers descending into madness. They single out the meticulous craft, period authenticity in dialogue, and the hypnotic, gaslighting effect on the audience. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/the-lighthouse-film-review-robert-pattinson-willem-dafoe-robert-eggers/) - **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (80/100, inferred): Pete Hammond lauds Eggers as a master of mood and psychological horror, highlighting the gorgeous black-and-white cinematography and the full-throttle performances by Pattinson and Dafoe in this twisted two-hander about isolation and madness. He singles out the minimalist character study and the way it builds to a boiling point with help from production design and score. [Read](https://deadline.com/video/the-lighthouse-review-robert-pattinson-willem-dafoe-robert-eggers/) - **Digital Spy**, Ian Sandwell (80/100, inferred): Highlights the unforgettable performances by Pattinson and Dafoe as the film's standout element in this two-hander about isolation and madness. Calls it a unique, captivating experience with striking black-and-white visuals, though notes some slow pacing in the first half. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a30641344/the-lighthouse-review-robert-pattinson-willem-dafoe/) - **Den of Geek**, David Crow (4 out of 5): The critic finds it a challenging but enthralling character study, praising the performances of Dafoe and Pattinson along with the gloomy atmosphere and visual style. Notes that it is more indulgent and ambiguous than Eggers' previous film The Witch and may not appeal to all audiences. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-lighthouse-review/) ## Details - **Director:** Robert Eggers - **Director:** Robert Eggers - **Writer:** Max Eggers, Robert Eggers - **Cinematography:** Jarin Blaschke - **Editor:** Louise Ford - **Music:** Mark Korven - **Production design:** Craig Lathrop - **Costume design:** Linda Muir - **Producer:** Youree Henley, Jay Van Hoy, Lourenço Sant'Anna - **Cast:** Robert Pattinson as Thomas Howard; Willem Dafoe as Thomas Wake; Valeriia Karaman as Mermaid; Logan Hawkes as Ephraim Winslow; Kyla Nicolle as Woman on the Rocks; Shaun Clarke as Departing Wickie; Pierre Richard as Departing Assistant Wickie; Preston Hudson as Tender Mate - **Runtime:** 1h 49m - **Certificate (MPA):** R - **Release (the US):** 1 November 2019 - **Genres:** Drama, Fantasy, Thriller - **Budget:** $11 million - **Box office:** $18 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42_UHhpq530 ## Where to watch in the US - HBO Max: streaming, uhd - The Roku Channel: add-on, hd - Hulu: add-on, hd - Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $2.99, sd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $12.99, sd *Checked 2026-09-16.* Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IN, IT, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, TR, UA, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Hour of the Wolf* (1968), Fi1m 74: An island retreat where an artist’s fears make domestic life increasingly frightening — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/hour-of-the-wolf.md) - *Woman in the Dunes* (1964), Fi1m 88: Hard labour and enforced intimacy, with sand making escape an exhausting business — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/woman-in-the-dunes.md) - *The Shout* (1978): An isolated household, sexual unease and sound used to make us flinch - *The Exterminating Angel* (1962), Fi1m 87: For more confinement, failing manners and absurd behaviour treated with complete seriousness — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-exterminating-angel.md) - *A Field in England* (2013): Black-and-white folk horror with filthy jokes and little interest in reassuring explanations --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-lighthouse