The Lighthouse: not all films aim solely to tell a story; some, such as this Robert Eggers’ gothic drama, are trying to engender a mood or a feeling. The problem is figuring out exactly what mood the film is going for: it is slightly disturbing and mildly scary at times, but what truly comes across the most is just how dull the place and the situation are. Willem Dafoe is very convincing as a deranged old sea-dog, as he both looks the part and reads the insane dialogue very beautifully. His partner Robert Pattinson, however, doesn’t far as well, and it’s partly a matter of casting: his face, his body, his way of reading the dialogue doesn’t seem to belong to that epoch, but to a modern man. Cinematographer Jarin Blaschke’s work is very rich and distinctive: in stark black-and-white, using an almost square aspect ratio (which is thematically relevant) and high-contrast lighting.