The Lighthouse is Lovecraftian hell, it even has its own eldritch abomination. Usually associated with madness and elder gods, Lovecraft often gets misconstrued as scary things that makes people go crazy. The word Lovecraftian gets thrown around often. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Eggers made it very clear that he was inspired by the pulp magazines that published the works of H.P. Qualities that go hand-in-hand with the Old Man of the Sea.īut what about the events that unfold after Winslow kills Thomas with a shovel? And what the hell is up with the lighthouse? Thomas commanded respect as a knowledgeable lighthouse keeper, surveyor of the sea, and sailor. Whether or not Thomas is actually Proteus himself is up to debate, but Winslow certainly thinks his co-worker is the Old Man of the Sea. Proteus is also a known shape-shifter - which makes sense given the obvious. Often attributed as the son of Poseidon, Proteus represents the changing nature of the sea and all of its unpredictable, often violent tide. He is Proteus, the sea god known as the Old Man of the Sea. A single horn of coral extends from his forehead. Winslow gains the upper hand and upon looking at a broken Thomas, sees him transformed drenched in ocean water, clusters of tentacles in place of legs, and a body made of barnacles and seaweed. The two keepers then explode into a fight. This over-the-top curse comes to fruition after a night of binge-drinking honey-dipped kerosene, during the climax of the film when Winslow learns that Thomas has been chronicling the rookie lighthouse keeper’s ineptitudes.

But you know what? The classical authors did that all the time.' That morsel of information confirms suspicions that Winslow (Robert Pattinson) is Prometheus and shines a much-needed spotlight on Thomas (Willem Dafoe) as a character.Īfter Winslow insults Thomas’ ability to prepare a lobster, he retaliates with the biggest overreaction of all time where he curses Winslow with all the wrath of the Seven Seas and Poseidon. And Prometheus might be taking on some characteristics he hasn’t in the past. “Well, Prometheus and Proteus never hung out in any Greek myths before, but that seems to be what is kind of happening here. But where things get really juicy is his mythological inspiration for the film: In an interview with Vox, Eggers revealed that the film is loosely based on a real-life event that took place in the 19th century somewhere in Wales. Well, let's dive into those questions about the film, particularly its unsettling ending and all that head-scratching symbolism, and provide those answers for what (we think) it all means.

Movie lighthouse keeper