7 Creepy Lighthouses Featured In Horror Films

This lesser known British 2018 film bears a lot of similarities to Robert Eggers, The Lighthouse.

Both deal with the themes of madness, isolation, and the harsh nature of the sea. However, The Vanishing is more grounded in reality, and deals with real world actions and consequences.

The life of a lighthouse keeper is a harsh one. Throughout The Vanishing the viewer is shown imagery that backs this up – dark, stormy weather, a body dashed against the coastal rocks, and horrifying pirate torture techniques. Even the crabs they eat have a hard, ungiving exterior.

This harsh life is what the lighthouse in the film represents. An isolated structure, built on the rocks of an island that no one visits, is the ultimate symbol of discomfort and loneliness. It also represents the type of person that is drawn to the life of a keeper.

Out of the three keepers in the film, two of them are damaged goods and, by the end, the third has joined them. Donald has no home, takes odd jobs, and generally has a low sense of self-worth, whereas Thomas is dealing with the death of his wife and twin daughters.

However, the lighthouse in the film doesn’t give these damaged souls the comfort they need. Instead, the film suggests that their violent and self-destructive behaviour is due to a deadly mercury leak in the lantern room.

The lighthouse drives them down the path of mistrust, insanity, and murder.