Lighthouse, The

"The Lighthouse" is a hypnotic and hallucinatory tale of two lighthouse keepers (Dafoe and Pattinson) on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s. As an approaching storm threatens to sweep them from the rock and strange apparitions emerge from the fog, each man begins to suspect that the other has become dangerously unmoored. (Gary Reber)

Special features include commentary with the Co-Writer/Director Robert Eggers, the featurette "The Lighthouse: A Dark & Stormy Tale" (HD 37:47), four deleted scenes (HD 05:17), upfront previews and a digital code.

The 1.20:1 1080p AVC picture, reviewed on a Sony Bravia Z9D 4K Ultra HD HDR display, upconverted to 2160p with greater resolution and luminance, was photographed on Eastman film stock in black-and-white using the Panavision Panaflex Millennium XL2 camera system and sourced from a 4K master Digital Intermediate format. Film grain is not objectionable and is barely a factor in the presentation. The gray scale imagery is extremely dark with poor shadow delineation during scenes within the lighthouse's living quarters. Glimpses of candle and oil lantern light and natural light provide a sense of contrast. Blacks are deep but lack definition. The range of black and white creates a haunting image. Resolution is satisfactory but focus tends to be soft rather than detailed. The picture is generally satisfying and artistic, as well as filmic. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack has been repurposed from the original theatrical monaural version. The sound is frontal focused, though, at times the music extends aggressively to the surrounds. Sound effects such as crashing waves, seagulls, and lighthouse belting sounds are at times intense and envelop the soundfield. The storm is very intense with pounding deep bass extension throughout, especially in the .1 LFE channel. Pounding rain and a loud fog horn enhance the tension. Atmospherics and Foley sound effects further enhance the realism of the setting. Dialogue is intelligible throughout with generally good spatial integration. This is a hauntingly dialogue-focused soundtrack with compelling atmospherics and powerful sound effects. (Gary Reber)