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The Lighthouse: Screenplay
From Robert Eggers, the visionary filmmaker behind modern horror masterpiece The Witch, comes this hypnotic and hallucinatory tale of two lighthouse keepers on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s.
100 pages, pdf
Published January 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 21, 2020
Soy muy fan de Robert Eggers. Uno de los mejores de nuestra generación en cuanto al terror psicológico se habla.
January 6, 2020
This screenplay is stellar. When writing action/direction it's always a balance trying to describe characters in a way that is compelling but also with the fewest phrases possible. I love the way Eggers handles this:
One man is YOUNG (early 30s). Tall, athletic –- but starved. His deep set eyes are haunted, and his left eye is healing from a week-old shiner. His crooked expression is severe. There’s an eerie disquiet about him. He’s like a dog that’s been beaten and caged too many times. A small mustache shows his vanity.
The other is OLD (Haggard 60? Spry 70?). He’s weathered, feral bearded, and hunched, with hands like vises. His lack of visible lips suggests some missing teeth. He tremors a bit, but he’s lean and sturdy as a lead pipe. His high cheekbones smile even when he grimaces. His wild eyes shine like jewels. He’s an old Pan. A Satyr.
One man is YOUNG (early 30s). Tall, athletic –- but starved. His deep set eyes are haunted, and his left eye is healing from a week-old shiner. His crooked expression is severe. There’s an eerie disquiet about him. He’s like a dog that’s been beaten and caged too many times. A small mustache shows his vanity.
The other is OLD (Haggard 60? Spry 70?). He’s weathered, feral bearded, and hunched, with hands like vises. His lack of visible lips suggests some missing teeth. He tremors a bit, but he’s lean and sturdy as a lead pipe. His high cheekbones smile even when he grimaces. His wild eyes shine like jewels. He’s an old Pan. A Satyr.
July 8, 2026
The Lighthouse written by Robert and Max Eggers, directed by the former was nominated for an Oscar in 2020 – you find notes on films from The New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made and other web pages on my blog https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... and YouTube channel
8 out of 10
To the Lighthouse https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... shows up when you google for ‘lighthouse’, and I remember this: ‘with Virginia Woolf I want to keep saying 'No, he didn't', No it didn't happen as you describe it', No, that isn't what he thought, No, that's just what she didn't say’
Magister Ludi Kingsley Amis was not very critical only with Virginia Woolf – ‘My own experience in reading Dickens, and I doubt whether it us an uncommon one, is to be bounced between violent admiration and violent distaste almost every couple of paragraphs’ there is also this: ‘I had concluded that Jane Austen was a 2nd-rate pisser while still at school.’
The first two authors are not among my favorites, I therefore enjoyed finding the opinion of Kingsley Amis about their oeuvre https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... although I was surprised to find Jane Austen being dismissed, more or less, as a second rate ‘pisser’
Willen Dafoe has a brilliant, long career as a thespian, I remember seeing him decades ago in Wild at Heart, Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern (if I am not wrong for the latter) in the leading roles, while Dafoe was sensational, scary as Bobby Peru, here he is a lighthouse keeper, Thomas Wake, he is the senior, the head of the operation…
In manner of speaking, he also acts as a sort of torturer, would be psychologist, snitch…at least his subordinate, Thomas Howard aka excellent Robert Pattison, accuses him of various wrongs and horrors – I was trying to remember Platoon https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... and the plot
In Platoon, as far as I can recollect, Willem Dafoe is the good officer, the actor has covered a whole range of performances, including comedy, in The Budapest Hotel say, the lighthouse keeper is a gloomy, scary, but complex challenge – the two men dance, drink together, fight, insult, attack and maybe destroy each other
Thomas Howard comes to replace a missing keeper, although he claims he has found the dead body, we have here an outstanding, overwhelming work, confirming that Robert Pattison is already part of the crème de la crème, one of the best in the métier, I have admired him recently in The Drama, a very good feature I thought
The younger lighthouse keeper is tormented by dreams, visions, past crimes he may have committed, he imagines he had sex with a mermaid, asks about seagulls and their special status, they are not to be killed, nevertheless, suffocated by one of them, the man takes the bird by the neck and beats it to a pulp, hitting again, and again, multiple times…horrible https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20...
8 out of 10
To the Lighthouse https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... shows up when you google for ‘lighthouse’, and I remember this: ‘with Virginia Woolf I want to keep saying 'No, he didn't', No it didn't happen as you describe it', No, that isn't what he thought, No, that's just what she didn't say’
Magister Ludi Kingsley Amis was not very critical only with Virginia Woolf – ‘My own experience in reading Dickens, and I doubt whether it us an uncommon one, is to be bounced between violent admiration and violent distaste almost every couple of paragraphs’ there is also this: ‘I had concluded that Jane Austen was a 2nd-rate pisser while still at school.’
The first two authors are not among my favorites, I therefore enjoyed finding the opinion of Kingsley Amis about their oeuvre https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... although I was surprised to find Jane Austen being dismissed, more or less, as a second rate ‘pisser’
Willen Dafoe has a brilliant, long career as a thespian, I remember seeing him decades ago in Wild at Heart, Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern (if I am not wrong for the latter) in the leading roles, while Dafoe was sensational, scary as Bobby Peru, here he is a lighthouse keeper, Thomas Wake, he is the senior, the head of the operation…
In manner of speaking, he also acts as a sort of torturer, would be psychologist, snitch…at least his subordinate, Thomas Howard aka excellent Robert Pattison, accuses him of various wrongs and horrors – I was trying to remember Platoon https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20... and the plot
In Platoon, as far as I can recollect, Willem Dafoe is the good officer, the actor has covered a whole range of performances, including comedy, in The Budapest Hotel say, the lighthouse keeper is a gloomy, scary, but complex challenge – the two men dance, drink together, fight, insult, attack and maybe destroy each other
Thomas Howard comes to replace a missing keeper, although he claims he has found the dead body, we have here an outstanding, overwhelming work, confirming that Robert Pattison is already part of the crème de la crème, one of the best in the métier, I have admired him recently in The Drama, a very good feature I thought
The younger lighthouse keeper is tormented by dreams, visions, past crimes he may have committed, he imagines he had sex with a mermaid, asks about seagulls and their special status, they are not to be killed, nevertheless, suffocated by one of them, the man takes the bird by the neck and beats it to a pulp, hitting again, and again, multiple times…horrible https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/20...
February 27, 2020
Another masterpiece
Robert Eggers' scripts are very quick to read, although this script is more complex than that of "The Witch", it's full of references and research about sailors, lighthouse keepers, etc.
I really like the interpretation of myths and fairy tales, the myths of Prometheus and Proteus are very interesting in this script.
Otra obra maestra
Los guiones de Robert Eggers son muy rápidos de leer, aunque este guión es más complejo que el de "La Bruja", esta lleno de referencias e investigaciones acerca de marineros, cuidadores de faros, etc.
Me gusta mucho la interpretación de mitos y cuentos de hadas, los mitos de Prometeo y Proteo son muy interesantes en este guion.
Robert Eggers' scripts are very quick to read, although this script is more complex than that of "The Witch", it's full of references and research about sailors, lighthouse keepers, etc.
I really like the interpretation of myths and fairy tales, the myths of Prometheus and Proteus are very interesting in this script.
Otra obra maestra
Los guiones de Robert Eggers son muy rápidos de leer, aunque este guión es más complejo que el de "La Bruja", esta lleno de referencias e investigaciones acerca de marineros, cuidadores de faros, etc.
Me gusta mucho la interpretación de mitos y cuentos de hadas, los mitos de Prometeo y Proteo son muy interesantes en este guion.
October 18, 2025
Amazing beautifully published copy of the script but like in one of the sections of additional thoughts, it’s some lady babbling about literally anything apart from the film. Anywho, the script itself is a masterpiece or something.
March 12, 2022
YA FOND OF ME LOBSTER?
July 15, 2025
So weird in the best way possible. Watching and reading this was a thrill!
June 22, 2022
The screen play was more fun to read than the film was to watch
February 7, 2021
I know it's such a filmbro move to consider THE LIGHTHOUSE one of my favourite of the decade but man, when something is this ZACcore the heart makes you know you love it.
The screenplay is thoroughly solid too, but we all knew that.
The screenplay is thoroughly solid too, but we all knew that.
January 4, 2022
imo this was top tier chaotic storytelling, sure some elements that made the script so good are the movie's acting and visuals and tbh the story feels quite empty without them but I still find it really good and inspiring, especially with the way Robert switches to that 1800's English dialect so well and smoothly.
October 31, 2024
First time reading a screenplay for a film but it was an interesting experience. I thought it was a well written story from Robert Eggers. I have only seen the witch from him but I am looking forward to what he does with nosferatu. I always find it interesting how these writers can craft these historically accurate pieces of work just from reading things like edgar fallen poe, Herman Melville, Sarah Orne Jewett. I thought it was an interesting story with complex characters. Makes me think of how you would not have gone crazy being wickie back then.
March 24, 2020
1. The light is mine
2. Catch your breath, lad
3. Swab, dog! Swab
4. God-fearin’
5. To my friend Tom
6. Weeks, Winslow. Weeks
7. Hurrah, me yaller girls
8. ‘Twas ye what changed the wind on us
2. Catch your breath, lad
3. Swab, dog! Swab
4. God-fearin’
5. To my friend Tom
6. Weeks, Winslow. Weeks
7. Hurrah, me yaller girls
8. ‘Twas ye what changed the wind on us
January 18, 2021
A captivating read. I couldn't look away...
June 6, 2022
Watched the movie and followed along with the screenplay. Really like the style of this one, hope it will provide for inspiration to write one of my own someday.
August 2, 2026
I watched the movie and asked myself why don't i read the screenplay? And WOW, this man is really a genius!
March 22, 2026
Script read so easy, Eggers is truly a visionary.
I may need to read his other screenplays, I started here instead of The Witch because I knew I was going to adore that this script is between two characters.
I would recommend this screenplay to anyone who's ever been interested in reading script, but may be nervous to try something new.
I may need to read his other screenplays, I started here instead of The Witch because I knew I was going to adore that this script is between two characters.
I would recommend this screenplay to anyone who's ever been interested in reading script, but may be nervous to try something new.
April 15, 2020
A masterfully crafted psychological terror. Eggers once again serves a period specific horror story that chills, confuses, and entertains as it spirals into an inevitable finale. All of the two-hander scenes read almost classically yet they somehow lean towards postmodernism with unsettling and deliciously thrilling results. Deeply rich language and detailed descriptions of what the camera sees are what make this screenplay an exciting and wholly worthwhile read. Eggers is such a fantastic storyteller, and this screenplay is some of his best work yet.
March 30, 2020
A truly excellent, weirdly enthralling, darkly strange read. It lost a mark for its too obvious ending but the journey was such that it gained 4 stars.
Well worth the read if you like deeply disturbing tales of isolated terror.
Well worth the read if you like deeply disturbing tales of isolated terror.
April 23, 2020
It's good to read something you could never yourself conceive of and this is that: even the well-researched language is revelatory, and makes you appreciate the film more (especially Defoe's monologues).
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews