LSC Week 9: A24 Horror
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"Bad luck to kill a seabird."

Not what I expected at all, but a truly wonderful watch! I saw The Lighthouse on Halloween for week nine of the Letterboxd Season Challenge, “A24 Horror Week,” and it could not have been a better fit. Having recently rewatched several A24 horror films, this felt like the perfect culmination: eerie, symbolic, and crafted with absolute precision. The film had been sitting at the top of my watchlist for ages, and it not only met my expectations but surpassed them in unexpected ways.

This is exquisite filmmaking of the highest order. The cinematography is jaw-droppingly beautiful! Each frame could be a painting, and the 4:3 aspect ratio adds a claustrophobic intimacy that perfectly complements the story’s descent into madness. I loved the Lynchian unease that permeates the film, the allegorical layers drawn from Greek mythology and biblical parables, and the sense that every element, from the seagulls to the storms, is rich in meaning and symbolism.

And, of course, the acting is beyond reproach. Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson deliver wonderfully intense and committed performances, oscillating between terrifying, tragic, and absurdly funny. Their dynamic feels both mythic and deeply human, and it anchors the film amid its sea of surrealism.

The Lighthouse isn’t a film for everyone — it’s not conventionally entertaining or easily digestible — but for those who love cinema as an art form, it’s essential viewing. Haunting, hilarious, and hypnotic, it’s a reminder of what makes film such a powerful medium: the ability to unsettle, fascinate, and inspire all at once.

11th Letterboxd Season Challenge
Weekly Tag: lsc11 week9

<----- Week 8: The Slumber Party Massacre
-----> Week 10: Squatch Junkies