The Lighthouse
Movie, 2019, The 2010s, Set in A New England rock, 1890s
The Lighthouse is #19 of 37 in release order and #19 of 37 in chronological order in the A24.
The story
Two lighthouse keepers try to maintain their sanity while living on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s.
The Lighthouse recap
The Lighthouse (2019) strands two lighthouse keepers on a rock off 1890s New England, where a storm, drink and isolation erode their grip on reality. Robert Eggers directs and co-writes with his brother Max, shooting in black and white in a near square frame. Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson), a former timberman, signs on for four weeks under the gruff old keeper Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe), who gives him the hard labor and keeps the lantern room to himself. Winslow finds a scrimshaw mermaid, sees strange things in the water and clashes with a one-eyed gull Wake says holds a dead sailor's soul. On his last day he beats the gull to death, the wind turns, and the relief boat never comes. Stuck together with spoiled rations, the two lurch between drunken affection and violence, and Winslow admits he took the name of a foreman he let drown; his real name is Thomas Howard. The film stands alone.
The Lighthouse ending explained
The Lighthouse ends with Howard reaching the light and being destroyed by it. After reading Wake's logbook, which recommends he be fired without pay, Howard hallucinates Wake as a sea god, beats him, walks him on a leash, and buries him alive while Wake curses him. Wake climbs out and attacks with an axe; Howard kills him and climbs to the lantern room. He opens the lens, stares into the light, screams and falls down the stairs. The final image shows him naked on the rocks, his eye damaged, while gulls tear at his guts, echoing the myth of Prometheus.
Post-credits scenes
No. The Lighthouse has no mid- or post-credits scene.
Where to watch The Lighthouse
The Lighthouse is streaming on HBO Max in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes 90%
Where it fits
- Release order: after The Farewell, before Uncut Gems.
- Chronological order: after The Farewell, before Uncut Gems.
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
- Jeff Cruts as Tender Mate
- Sully Seagull as Seagull
Directed by Robert Eggers.