The Lighthouse

I went to the opening night in my area - the theater was full. About 15mins into the show, I realized what I was getting into. Only small squarish portion of the screen was used, there were only going to be 2 actors, I could understand only 40% of the dialog, the characters are weird but not interesting and it's very, very slow.

I could see people clearing out of the theater the moment it looked like it was over. I was one of them - I couldn't wait to get out.

The main thing to know is that even though it's listed as "horror" (and in some listings sci-fi / fantasy) ... it's an art film. This means it's generally unconventional, experimental and geared at a niche audience. A lot of times such movies will capture critical praise but be unappealing to mass audiences.

That's what's going on with this movie. It's bizarre, psychological, atmospheric and if it happens to grab you - intense. Otherwise, it will be a massively disappointing. If you saw "The Witch", Egger's other key movie, you'll understand. People went in expecting a typical horror movie, but were instead given a slow, shakespearean-like drama with complex language and minimal, slow scares.

For me, the problem with this movie is that I didn't care about either of the characters. Neither seemed relatable or engaging. If anything, it was uncomfortable to watch them. The story seemed more about madness than anything spooky. If it had been a short film - it might have been palatable, but not in its current form.

Unless you liked "The Witch" or are into artsy / experimental movies, definitely be forewarned and eliminate your expectations. It could be a big letdown.