• Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket

First reactions to The Witch director’s “sadistic” and “terrifying” new film The Lighthouse

May 21, 2019 by Samuel Brace

Robert Pattinson’s performance has been praised in first reactions to The Witch director’s “terrifying” new film The Lighthouse.

Robert Eggers, the director of the horror film The Witch, has received some glowing reactions from critics at Cannes to his new film The Lighthouse starring Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson.

The film tells the tale of two men tasked with monitoring a nautical station off the New England coast, with horrific and disturbing events following as a result. Read on for what critics are saying in their first reactions to the film, labeling it as “terrifying”, “phenomenal”, and a “gripping nightmare”.

Pattinson and Dafoe give career best performances in the insanely, wonderfully crafted THE LIGHTHOUSE. A madhouse amidst a wild ocean; an old Irish poem of desire & greed. My heart still racing like crazy. Soundscape, cinematography, editing, production, all ace. Wow. #Cannes2019

— — Niels 🇵🇸 (@NielsPutman) May 19, 2019

“Pattinson and Dafoe give career-best performances in the insanely, wonderfully crafted THE LIGHTHOUSE. A madhouse amidst a wild ocean; an old Irish poem of desire & greed. My heart still racing like crazy. Soundscape, cinematography, editing, production, all ace. Wow.”

I loved THE WITCH but THE LIGHTHOUSE is another level. The image-making is relentlessly striking, Pattinson & Dafoe are extraordinary. Eggers seems to believe that to make a period film, you must also resurrect the dreams, nightmares, language and, um, sea shanties of the time

— Jake Coyle (@jakecoyleAP) May 19, 2019

“I loved THE WITCH but THE LIGHTHOUSE is another level. The image-making is relentlessly striking, Pattinson & Dafoe are extraordinary. Eggers seems to believe that to make a period film, you must also resurrect the dreams, nightmares, language and, um, sea shanties of the time.”

The Lighthouse – Two men on a rock in the ocean slowly go mad. Absolutely phenomenal, visceral, intense, hilarious filmmaking. Every shot is masterful. Score is astounding. Willem Dafoe & Robert Pattinson are incredible, plumbing the depths of insanity. Perfection. #Cannes2019

— Alex B. (@firstshowing) May 19, 2019

Alex Billington from First Showing says: “The Lighthouse – Two men on a rock in the ocean slowly go mad. Absolutely phenomenal, visceral, intense, hilarious filmmaking. Every shot is masterful. Score is astounding. Willem Dafoe & Robert Pattinson are incredible, plumbing the depths of insanity. Perfection.”

Robert Eggers’s gripping nightmare The Lighthouse is the best thing in #Cannes2019 with sledgehammer performances from Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, like Steptoe and Son in hell #Cannes72 #Cannes

— Peter Bradshaw (@PeterBradshaw1) May 19, 2019

“Robert Eggers’s gripping nightmare The Lighthouse is the best thing in #Cannes2019 with sledgehammer performances from Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, like Steptoe and Son in hell.”

https://twitter.com/JosephDAWalsh/status/1130036280514027520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1130036280514027520&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fhorror%2F2019%2F05%2F20%2Fthe-lighthouse-movie-reactions-robert-pattinson-willem-dafoe%2F

“Avast! The Lighthouse has left me woozy with shaking sea legs. A swirling descent into madness, with two mezmirizing performances from Pattinson and Dafoe. By far the best film to screen at Cannes so far.”

THE LIGHTHOUSE rips: it’s terrifying, hilarious, nightmarish, and Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe shamble around in flannels and longjohns the whole time, yelling stuff like “GET TO WORK, SAYS I!!” “BARK YOU DOG!!” don’t let anyone spoil this for you #Cannes2019

— Evil Emma Stefansky (@stefabsky) May 19, 2019

“THE LIGHTHOUSE rips: it’s terrifying, hilarious, nightmarish, and Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe shamble around in flannels and longjohns the whole time, yelling stuff like ‘GET TO WORK, SAYS I!!’ ‘BARK YOU DOG!!’ don’t let anyone spoil this for you.”

THE LIGHTHOUSE – a sadistic sea shanty, a dark dive into the fathoms of madness anchored by exquisitely overboard performances by #WillemDafoe and #RobertPattinson.

Ups Eggers' WITCH in many ways, this bonkers film about inadvertent brotherhood soaks to the bone #cannes2019

— Jason Gorber (@filmfest_ca) May 19, 2019

“THE LIGHTHOUSE – a sadistic sea shanty, a dark dive into the fathoms of madness anchored by exquisitely overboard performances by #WillemDafoe and #RobertPattinson. Ups Eggers’ WITCH in many ways, this bonkers film about inadvertent brotherhood soaks to the bone.”

THE LIGHTHOUSE: I feel like I’ve read Moby Dick, sniffed glue then passed out with TCM on — in a good way! Each frame could hang, and Pattinson and Dafoe scrapping like the last two rats in a barrel had me howling. Inspired, demented filmmaking from Eggers. #Cannes2019

— Tom Page (@thomas_page) May 19, 2019

“THE LIGHTHOUSE: I feel like I’ve read Moby Dick, sniffed glue then passed out with TCM on — in a good way! Each frame could hang, and Pattinson and Dafoe scrapping like the last two rats in a barrel had me howling. Inspired, demented filmmaking from Eggers.”

Well, it certainly seems like there is a lot of love for The Lighthouse. This sounds like one horror film for fans to keep their eye on when it comes to cinemas.

Originally published May 21, 2019. Updated May 22, 2019.

Filed Under: Movies, News, Samuel Brace Tagged With: Robert Eggers, Robert Pattinson, The Lighthouse, Willem Dafoe

FMTV – Watch Our Latest Video Here

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

The Essential Exorcism Movies of the 21st Century

Dust in the Eye: Ten Tear-Jerking Moments in Action Movies

7 Sci-Fi Horror Movie Hidden Gems You Have To See

6 Abduction Thrillers You May Have Missed

10 Great Forgotten Gems of the 1980s You Need To See

Are we about to see The Rocknaissance?

10 Horror Films That Channel True Crime

6 Private Investigator Movies That Deserve More Love

7 Prom-Themed Horror Movies You Need To See

LEGO Star Wars at 20: The Video Game That Kickstarted a Phenomenon

WATCH OUR MOVIE NOW FOR FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

Top Stories:

Movie Review – Good Fortune (2025)

Movie Review – Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein (2025)

Movie Review – A Useful Ghost (2025)

2025 BFI London Film Festival Review – Hamnet

The Top 10 Star Trek: The Next Generation Episodes

McFarlane Toys launches new wave of DC Multiverse action figures

10 Essential Chuck Norris Movies

2025 BFI London Film Festival Review – Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Is Paul Thomas Anderson the Best Hollywood Director of the 21st Century?

Movie Review – The Woman in Cabin 10 (2025)

STREAM FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

FEATURED POSTS:

The (00)7 Most Underrated James Bond Movies

Action Movies Blessed with Stunning Cinematography

A Better Tomorrow: Why Superman & Lois is among the best representations of the Man of Steel

Brilliantly Simple But Insanely Thrilling Movies

Our Partners

  • Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

© Flickering Myth Limited. All rights reserved. The reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication of the content without permission is strictly prohibited. Movie titles, images, etc. are registered trademarks / copyright their respective rights holders. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you can read this, you don't need glasses.


 

Flickering MythLogo Header Menu
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles and Opinions
  • Write for Flickering Myth
  • About Flickering Myth
  • The Baby in the Basket