Film Brief: The Lighthouse

Underwhelming is the operative word here. Overrated claptrap pops up too. Nowhere in my imagination would I think The Lighthouse would make Robert Eggers’ previous effort The Witch look good by comparison, but it does.

As expected, there’s plenty of atmosphere, and, aye sir — the square frame is fittin’. But I’ve said it a million times — atmospherics aren’t everything. You need a good story. Eggers, once again, is well short of the mark and lacks a clear vision. The conclusion — no spoilers needed here — is downright lame. 4/10

Comparison Notes: Dead Man, Mad Men, Antichrist. The concluding scenes of The Lighthouse brought to mind Antichrist. And it makes you realize what a genius Lars von Trier is. Eggers, by comparison, is a poser, a wannabe hack, one attempting to appear as some great art director, but hollow at the core. Because story is always the core.