Review: "The Lighthouse" is a Discomforting Hallucination of Pure Joy

Scene from The Lighthouse (2019)

In the world of Robert Eggers, the idea of isolation is a horrifying reality. His debut The Witch followed a family outcasted to the edge of town, forced to deal helplessly with the demons that lay in the forest. It was a horrifying film, exploring the struggles of faith as personal demons ate every character whole. The same can be said for The Lighthouse, with two men watching a lighthouse and doing everything to stay sane on an abandoned island. Unlike The Witch, The Lighthouse falls more into the realm of a dark comedy, becoming more disturbing in its humor as each bottle of liquor goes down, eventually splashing over their chins as they dance recklessly. They can't escape the island until the storm passes, but how long will that be? A day, a week, a month? It's a tale of survival that finds Eggers once again diving into the muck of humanity to find something equally repulsive and amazing. With a career-best performance by Robert Pattinson, the film is a haunted sea shanty that will drive everyone nuts - and that's only half of the fun. 

A24 A-to-Z: #29. "The Witch" (2016)

Anya-Taylor Joy

In case you didn't know, A24 is one of the great purveyors of modern cinema. Since 2013, the studio has found a way to innovate independent cinema by turning each release into an event. As a result, A24 A-to-Z will be an ongoing series that looks at every release from the studio by analyzing its production history, release, criticisms, and any awards attention that it might've received. Join me on a quest to explore the modern heroes of cinema by exploring every hit and miss that comes with that magnificent logo. They may not all be great, but they more than make A24 what it is and what it will hopefully continue to be for ears to come.