10 Horror Movie Questions That Will Never Be Answered
1. What Did Winslow See In The Light? - The Lighthouse
Robert Eggers' dreamlike horror opens with Ephraim Winslow readying to work in a lighthouse alongside eccentric sailor Thomas Wake. The pair's relationship is frosty from the get-go, with Wake telling Winslow he'll suffer a "Promethean punishment" if he enters the lighthouse top.
As the antagonism between the lighthouse keepers grows, Winslow begins to hallucinate, seeing mermaids and perceiving Wake as a destructive deity. Though it could be argued these cerebral elements merely exist in Winslow's head, the final scene implies otherwise.
After Winslow gazes into the lighthouse's upper lantern, he's overcome with pain, causing him to collapse down the staircase. In the closing moments, seagulls are seen pecking away at Winslow's exposed organs.
Now, the final shot is a nod to the Greek myth of Prometheus who stole fire from the gods. As punishment, Prometheus had his liver endlessly eaten by birds. As such, Wake's warning seems fitting.
So, if the fantastical aspects merely occurred in Winslow's imagination, why did he react the way he did while looking into the lantern? Was he merely blinded by the light or did he suffer the wrath of the gods? If it's the latter, is there some truth to Winslow's earlier visions?
Sadly, The Lighthouse feels like the type of movie that will be debated for decades without anyone getting closer to the truth.