After all but giving up on movies this year, Parasite has me excited, and The Lighthouse even more so. No words can adequately describe how eerily haunting and beautiful this film is. This movie will ruin you. He's David Lynch on steroids, Kubrick and Lovecraft. From the opening scenes until the shocking climax, you feel like its sensual gifts have been violated, but you can't get away from it. You are a prisoner of two men's private nightmares.

This is Roger Eggers' second film after "The Witches" in 2015. It received rave reviews from professional critics but was only a modest success. Eggers raised the bar significantly by shooting a gorgeously desolate black and white film in a 4:3 aspect ratio. The lighthouse and two other buildings were specially built for the film at Point Fauci, Nova Scotia. The film premiered at Cannes earlier this summer, where it won multiple awards, and will be released in U.S. theaters this month.

There are only two characters in this movie, the great Willem Dafoe (Wake) and the rising star Robert Pattinson (Winslow). Both actors gave stunning Best Actor performances. Wick is a grumpy, bearded wicker man who has no airs about who's in charge here. Vic wouldn't let Winslow get close to the real light, but desperately protected it. This is his passion and love. He didn't even recognize the new Winslow's name, treated him worse than an indentured servant, and demanded that he return his nerve-wracking job. They eventually break down and come together with the help of lots of lubrication. As tongues loosen, secrets and superstitions are revealed, and people begin a wild freefall.

As time passes and the blood alcohol level rises, Wick's farts and tall tales begin to torment Winslow's remaining sanity. I don’t want to spoil it, but what is certain is that the mental health of both men deteriorated very quickly. Rescue boats were unable to reach due to the storm, and the men actually had no idea how long they had been there. Hallucinations increase and frustration increases. Due to food shortages, some things had to be given up. "If I had a steak right now," he roared, "I'd go for it!" Winslow. I'm afraid to write any more plots. Go see this movie. (That's all I can say for now.)

Everything about this movie is great. The music and the constant drone of the foghorn grabs you from the start and haunts you relentlessly. The black-and-white photo of Wake chattering like a pirate's abandoned parrot makes this dubious pairing an odd pairing, sure, but they resemble a pair of drunken sacks. Badger pored over the script. Dafoe is a superstar, certainly in the top five of today's actors, but Pattinson steals the show with his performance which is simply incredible.

I highly recommend this movie. The only drawback I can find is that Willem Dafoe's accent is so thick that it's hard to hear the words at times. I can't wait to watch the DVD, even without the actual text. , his message is clear. Embrace the sea and its legend, or it will embrace you.