The Lighthouse is a haunting tale of obsession and romance based on the acclaimed 2009 novel by English author James Runcie. The story follows a young writer, Aidan (played by Robert Pattinson), who is drawn to a remote Scottish Island to research a book about the notorious lighthouse keeper Simon (played by Chris Hemsworth). There, he is captivated by the beautiful Annabel (played by Eva Birthistle), the wife of his host, Professor McTear (played by Brian Cox). As Aidan struggles to complete his novel, his obsession with Annabel burns through his relationships with her sister, Estelle (played by Alice Engles), and best friend, Daisy (played by Freya Mavor).
The Lighthouse was written and directed by Irish filmmaker John Crowley and is set to be released on April 5th. Below, we’ve got the exclusive details on the DVD release of this unique addition to the cinematic universe.
The Lighthouse: Special Features
Besides a sleek looking package, the major selling point for The Lighthouse is its special features. The disc will include an exclusive new trailer for the film along with deleted and extended scenes, a video guide to tracking down all the references in the movie, and a blooper reel.
As someone who was fortunate enough to see the movie before its release, I can say with confidence that John Crowley does an incredible job of fleshing out the world of The Lighthouse. The film is filled with fascinating details that only add to the movie’s spellbinding atmosphere. The director includes a video essay where he talks about the themes and ideas that he explored with this well-executed adaptation.
While in post-production, Crowley and his team took the time to visit the places in Scotland that they were shooting in. This includes climbing the lighthouse and taking a spin around the island in a helicopter. Sadly, you won’t be able to do the same with this version of The Lighthouse, as it doesn’t include any of those juicy bits that the director includes in his video essay. Still, it’s a valuable peek into the creative process of one of today’s premier filmmakers.
The Lighthouse: Packaging
The Lighthouse comes in a thick cardboard slipcase with an embossed logo on the front and back cover. The disc is housed in a clear plastic wallet with a cardboard sleeve. The case is accented with a gold-rimmed sticker on the front cover and includes a photo of Robert Pattinson and Eva Birthistle on the back.
When it comes to packaging, The Lighthouse takes the cake. No, really. The whole thing is gorgeous. From the slipcase to the photos on the back, this is one sophisticated-looking box that will be sure to catch the eye. It seems like even more care was put into the design of the box than the content of the disc – which, in my opinion, is certainly appropriate.
The Lighthouse: Soundtrack
If there’s one thing that I love about this version of The Lighthouse, it’s the soundtrack. I have the 2009 album ‘Sea of Words’ by the British band Mogge on repeat right now. If you’re a fan of sad, beautiful songs with lyrics, you’ll find yourself tapping your foot to this one several times.
For those of you who have yet to discover this gem, the album’s first single, “Closer”, was used in the trailer for the movie. If you listen closely, you can hear James Joyce’s ‘shouting’ in the background. It’s an incredible track – both haunting and beautiful at the same time. In fact, the song was so effective that it was subsequently used in a German TV commercial and in the American film, The Book of Life. “Closer” was also featured on the soundtrack to the 2018 World Cup in Russia and was performed live by English singer-songwriter Rita Ora at the grand opening ceremony of the 2018 World Cup. If that wasn’t enough, the track has been covered by Irish band The Coronas and released as a single.
The Lighthouse: Cast and Crew
One of the things that I love most about this version of The Lighthouse is the extensive credits. When I saw that most of the major actors and actresses were from either Ireland or Scotland, I knew that I was in for a treat. One of the great things about this version of The Lighthouse is that the people behind the camera seemed to appreciate and respect the culture of the locations that they were filming in. It’s not often that you see an effort like this put forth in to such detail.
While we don’t get to see a whole lot of Scotland in the film, we do get to see a lot of the coastline. As for who played what part, I’ll leave that for you to decide after viewing the movie. Suffice it to say that the entire cast and crew did an amazing job in bringing this complex tale to life on the big screen.
Final Words
Overall, I had a wonderful time watching this version of The Lighthouse. Like I said at the beginning, the film is absolutely enchanting. From the beautiful sets to the effective use of sound and music, the visuals are very well-crafted. I also have to mention that the performances are excellent and the entire cast seemed to be having a great time on set. Not too many modern films can claim to have such a wonderful atmosphere – especially when you compare it to the typically loud, chaotic world of a Hollywood production.
There are a few things that I wish could’ve been included, however. The first being a video essay from director John Crowley. It would’ve been great to have seen more of his work, especially since it’s been such a long time since we’ve seen a movie by him. The second thing is that the movie would’ve been great with some more scenes of Jimmy (played by Ewan McGregor) in the pub with his friends. Seeing him interact with other people was such a big part of what made the original story so special and I think that it would’ve added a little more to the film. That being said, all in all, this is a must-see for fans of James Runcie’s The Lighthouse and is a great addition to the cinematic universe of today.