‘Isolation… Fear… Madness. Save our souls’
The Lighthouse is a 2016 British psychological thriller film directed by Chris Crow from a screenplay co-written with Paul Bryant and Michael Jibson. The Dogs of Annwn production stars Mark Lewis Jones, Michael Jibson and Ian Virgo.
Surrounded only by the Irish Sea, two men posted to Smalls Island Lighthouse in 1801 are left to ‘keep the light’ 25 miles from the land. However, when a freak storm hits, the men are stranded for months before any relief can be sent to them. The pair gradually succumb to their tiny living quarters, spending their time drinking and arguing, pushing each other’s psyche to the limit…
In the USA, The Lighthouse opens in select movie houses on July 6 and is released on VOD on July 10, 2018 via Uncork’d Entertainment. In the UK, SODA Pictures released The Lighthouse on DVD on 31 October 2016. Buy DVD: Amazon.co.uk
Reviews:
“While it is an intriguing film with merit, it is likely to fall between the cracks of the collective cinematic consciousness. An effectively told story with an introspective ontological curiosity, it champions the intelligence and integrity of genre cinema, while managing to not sacrifice itself as a well told yarn.” Film Frame
” …feels like a slog at times due to the all too realistic depiction of the boredom and repetition that inevitably figures in the story. A case could be made that the material would have been better served in a theatrical setting where its claustrophobic aspects and psychological complexities could have been more effectively conveyed.” The Hollywood Reporter
” …The Lighthouse is a rattling good terror film in the best tradition of the works of writers like William Hope Hodgson and Henry James. Anyone who loves the kind of story where someone is driven slowly mad by the sound of a dead man’s hand tapping at a window in a storm will love this…” House of Mortal Cinema
“An interesting tale, made all the more impactful that it was a true history changing event, The Lighthouse is a good old fashioned psychological drama that looks into the darkness of the human heart. With elements of Edgar Allen Poe, and a nice dose of The Tell-Tale Heart, The Lighthouse is well worth checking out for those looking for a spooky twist on their horror.” Pissed Off Geek
“The Lighthouse is a bold, demanding film and by its very nature, it’s not likely to find favour with everyone. It’s mercilessly grim, its lead characters are taciturn and troubled and there’s no light and shade here in a story which appears to offer little more than two stern men glaring and shouting angrily at each other across a very small room.” Starburst
“This is very much a chamber piece, so if you’re not fond of slow character-building and visual storytelling, then this might not be one for you. Otherwise, The Lighthouse is very much a film worth your time. It’s not only an achievement of low-budget filmmaking, it’s also a damn sight more interesting than many other psychological thrillers…” Warped Perspective
