Robert Eggers‘ The Lighthouse “is an absolute masterpiece — a tale of slowly burgeoning madhouse by way of isolation, booze, demons and nightmares. It contains Robert Pattinson‘s finest role and performance ever, but Willem Dafoe‘s old bearded sea dog matches him line for line, glare for glare, howl for howl.

“This 35mm black-and-white masterwork (projected in a 1:1 aspect ratio) is really about a battle of performances as well as a fight between earthly duties and the madness of shrieking mermaids and visions of King Triton. Nightmares au natural but full of ancient myths and fables. Totally 19th Century in terms of atmosphere, set design and especially in the Melville-like dialogue, co-written by Egger and his brother Max. Jarin Blaschke‘s cinematography is an instant classic in itself.” — from “This Way Lies Madness,” posted from Cannes on 5.19.19.

A24 will release The Lighthouse on Friday, 10.18.

Indiewire‘s Zack Sharf has written that the film will be presented “in Academy ratio,” which would mean 1.37:1. But this is incorrect.

Update: A24 informs that “in Cannes The Lighthouse was shown at 1.19:1” — an aspect ratio introduced in 1926 — and that “the trailer aspect ratio is 1.20 which matches the dailies. 1.37 is actually inaccurate.”