With all this garbage they call horror coming out these days, you almost automatically become skeptic and negative-minded towards smaller productions before you've even seen them! My expectations on "Lighthouse" were very low (actually, I had none) but it turned out a pleasant surprise and it's really not that bad at all. This even is do I dare to use the word a GOOD chiller with a no-nonsense plot, some atmospheric tension, impressively staged set pieces and even a couple of authentic shock/gore sequences. Don't expect originality, of course, as the screenplay is primitive horror material with a psychopath stalking and butchering a small group of people in an isolated setting. This setting, however, is very appealing since it's an island with only an ancient lighthouse on it and the people are survivors of a sunk prison ship. Following the old-fashioned Jason Vorhees traditions, the killer carries a machete around which makes the murders nasty and body country fairly high. Every cliché you can name features here, but I personally couldn't care less because this is a fun and unpretentious thrill-ride and nothing more. The Leo Rook character is the closest thing to a scary psychopath we horror fans have seen in years and writer/director Simon Hunter deserves some praise for knowing his classics. There are a handful of terrific sequences, like the actual shipping accident and the 'Vertigo'-like camera-work inside the lighthouse. The extended sequence in the loo is damn close to brilliant!
Review of Lighthouse
