If you like your Horror atmospheric, eerie, and more than a bit psychotic, this one’s for you.
Filmed in B&W to reflect the time (late 1890s) and location (fog-enveloped volcanic rock off the coast of New England), this is the story of two lightkeepers tasked with maintaining “the wick” in harsh conditions for four weeks. Newcomer Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson, in an excellent turn) and grizzled Cap’n Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe) must weather hard work in harsh conditions, each other, and the growing unease surrounding them. When a seabird portends even worst conditions (“Bad luck to kill a seabird! Them’s the souls of sailors that met their maker,” Wake chastises Winslow), the Fates step in. Storms, a siren/mermaid, and a not-so-small amount of questionable alcohol force the two to endure well past the four-week mark, with starvation, visions, and insanity closing in.
- Top Scare: Bird-related
- Heartbeats: 2 out of 5
- Gore Factor: 3 1/2 out of 5
- Suspense Factor: 1 1/2 out of 5
- Recommended for: 17 and up