The Lighthouse 2019

In the late 1800s, Ephraim Winslow, played by Robert Pattinson, takes on the laborious job of a wickie on a desolate island for a month. His only companion is the eccentric and superstitious Thomas Wake, portrayed by Willem Dafoe, a garrulous old man with a penchant for nighttime excursions to the top of the lighthouse—often in the nude. On his very first day, Winslow discovers an unsettling hole in his cot, which leads him to unearth a small wooden mermaid figurine, igniting his curiosity about both the island’s mysteries and Wake’s peculiar habits.

As the days blur into weeks, the workload for Winslow becomes increasingly grueling, involving everything from maintaining the lighthouse to dealing with the remnants of their waste. His fascination with the light grows as he encounters a bothersome seagull that he is advised to avoid harming due to the superstition that seagulls carry the souls of deceased sailors. The strange occurrences escalate as the line between reality and hallucination begins to blur for Winslow, culminating in unsettling dreams where he encounters a haunting vision beneath the waves.

Their relationship slowly deteriorates amidst escalating tensions, exacerbated by alcohol as they drown their troubles during a storm. Winslow’s growing paranoia propels him to confront the deeper secrets of his identity and the supposed madness of his predecessor, all while grappling with his attraction to the seductive mermaid figure. During a critical moment, he brutally kills the tormenting seagull, triggering a series of harrowing events that lead to each man grappling with their sanity.

As howling winds and the crashing waves render their isolation even more profound, the psychological warfare between the two men intensifies. In a drunken haze, Winslow lashes out, envisioning Wake as various entities, including the real Ephraim Winslow and even the mermaid herself. Their spiraling descent culminates in violent confrontations and revelations that disrupt their already fragile reality.

Ultimately, Winslow’s desperation drives him to attempt to escape their nightmarish existence, but his efforts result in terrifying outcomes. The climax sees Winslow reach the top of the lighthouse, where the radiance overwhelms him, igniting a deluded laughter that echoes into the abyss. The film closes with a haunting image of Winslow, left to the mercy of the elements as his fate is sealed by the relentless seagulls, marking an eerie end to a profoundly unsettling tale of madness, isolation, and the supernatural.