When it comes to delivering horror fans movies that inspire them to head out to the theater, most studios rely on offering up tried and true adventures, often resulting in the same generic premises being explored in horror films, which also includes multiple sequels to one successful film. Luckily, recent years have seen studios find both financial and critical success by breaking the mold with more ambitious horror films that offer viewers unique endeavors within the genre world. Back in 2016, Robert Eggers’ The Witch became one of the genre’s standouts, thanks to its captivating performances and unsettling atmosphere. The filmmaker’s latest movie, The Lighthouse, has premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and is earning some promising praise.
The Lighthouse stars Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe as two men tasked with monitoring a nautical station off the New England coast, only for the narrative to descend into disturbing psychological horrors. Early buzz about the film is warning The Witch fans that they’re in for more of the ambitious and uncompromising horrors, which is sure to excite genre audiences.
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Scroll down to see what audiences are saying about The Lighthouse before it comes to theaters later this year.
Career Best Performances
Pattinson and Dafoe give career best performances in the insanely, wonderfully crafted THE LIGHTHOUSE. A madhouse amidst a wild ocean; an old Irish poem of desire & greed. My heart still racing like crazy. Soundscape, cinematography, editing, production, all ace. Wow. #Cannes2019
— Niels @ Cannes ✨ (@NielsPutman) May 19, 2019
Another Level
I loved THE WITCH but THE LIGHTHOUSE is another level. The image-making is relentlessly striking, Pattinson & Dafoe are extraordinary. Eggers seems to believe that to make a period film, you must also resurrect the dreams, nightmares, language and, um, sea shanties of the time
— Jake Coyle (@jakecoyleAP) May 19, 2019
Absolutely Phenomenal
The Lighthouse – Two men on a rock in the ocean slowly go mad. Absolutely phenomenal, visceral, intense, hilarious filmmaking. Every shot is masterful. Score is astounding. Willem Dafoe & Robert Pattinson are incredible, plumbing the depths of insanity. Perfection. #Cannes2019
— Alex Billington @ Cannes (@firstshowing) May 19, 2019
Gripping Nightmare
Robert Eggers’s gripping nightmare The Lighthouse is the best thing in #Cannes2019 with sledgehammer performances from Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, like Steptoe and Son in hell #Cannes72 #Cannes
— Peter Bradshaw (@PeterBradshaw1) May 19, 2019
Utterly Incredible
Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse is utterly incredible. I was on the Pattinson Is Great trail before most (because I’m super clever about these things), but he’s even better here. Best roles of their careers for him and Dafoe.
— Joe Utichi (@joeutichi) May 19, 2019
Swirling Descent Into Madness
Avast! The Lighthouse has left me woozy with shaking sea legs. A swirling descent into madness, with two mezmirizing performances from Pattinson and Dafoe. By far the best film to screen at Cannes so far.
— Joseph D A Walsh (@JosephDAWalsh) May 19, 2019
Nightmarish
THE LIGHTHOUSE rips: it’s terrifying, hilarious, nightmarish, and Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe shamble around in flannels and longjohns the whole time, yelling stuff like “GET TO WORK, SAYS I!!” “BARK YOU DOG!!” don’t let anyone spoil this for you #Cannes2019
— Emma Stefansky (@stefabsky) May 19, 2019
Sadistic
THE LIGHTHOUSE – a sadistic sea shanty, a dark dive into the fathoms of madness anchored by exquisitely overboard performances by #WillemDafoe and #RobertPattinson.
— Jason Gorber – at #Cannes2019 (@filmfest_ca) May 19, 2019
Ups Eggers’ WITCH in many ways, this bonkers film about inadvertent brotherhood soaks to the bone #cannes2019
Inspired, Demented
THE LIGHTHOUSE: I feel like I’ve read Moby Dick, sniffed glue then passed out with TCM on — in a good way! Each frame could hang, and Pattinson and Dafoe scrapping like the last two rats in a barrel had me howling. Inspired, demented filmmaking from Eggers. #Cannes2019
— Tom Page (@thomas_page) May 19, 2019
God-Tier
🚨 THE LIGHTHOUSE IS GOD-TIER CINEMA 🚨 If Robert Pattinson decided to start a religion, after watching this film I’d gladly become a person who prays.
— Ella Kemp (@efekemp) May 19, 2019
My #Cannes2019 review: https://t.co/uapbIYivVs pic.twitter.com/vOX4GNtSnS
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