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Robert Eggers’s The Lighthouse: a Gothic Masterpiece

December 3, 2019

A film review on Home for Fiction? Sort of. But this isn’t a typical review. Rather, in this post I plan to analyze how Robert Eggers’s 2019 The Lighthouse is a Gothic masterpiece.

To do that, I will really go deeply into Gothic tropes, to show the seriously great job the director did with this film. Indeed, to this Gothic specialist, The Lighthouse is a Gothic classroom. If I needed to pick only one work from the recent 10-20 years to teach someone about the Gothic, The Lighthouse would be the one.

I’ve tried to balance between not including any spoilers and still being able to talk about the Gothic tropes of the film. In all honesty, the Gothic as a mode doesn’t rely on strictness and linearity. That is, it’s about affect, not plot.

However, if you haven’t watched The Lighthouse yet and you’d like to enter the narrative without any interpretative prejudice, feel free to stop reading at this point. You can then come back to this post after you’ve watched the film.

Otherwise, if you’ve already seen the film and want to know why I consider The Lighthouse a Gothic masterpiece, read on!

The Lighthouse Gothic
As a trope, the lighthouse is a Gothic castle, containing the same kinds of allusions of hierarchy
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The Appeal of True Stories in Gothic and Horror

October 31, 2019

Based on a true story. You must’ve seen this many times in the opening credits of a film. This is particularly the case with works of the Gothic or horror genres. But why do true stories in Gothic or horror fiction appeal to us so much?

Moreover, does the phrase “a true horror story” make sense or not? Remember, good horror fiction should be about the supernatural – no ambiguities allowed. Movies like The Exorcist accept the supernatural (and treat it as such). Compare that to Scooby-Doo Gothic, where there is always a natural explanation for everything.

The “based on a true story” trope is older than you might think. Moreover, just in case you wondered, “based on a true story” is not a writing gimmick but a case of legitimate creative manipulation.

In this post we’ll take a look at its origins and, more importantly, its significance.

true stories gothic horror
“True” stories in Gothic and horror function as a booster of affect
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How to Write a Good Horror Story

March 19, 2019

A good horror story fascinates most of us. There’s something attractive about feeling a bit of fear in a controlled, safe manner. This also explains the lasting relevance of Gothic fiction. In today’s article I’ll show you how to write a good horror story.

I’ll start with a brief outline of what a horror story is (and what are the differences between a horror story and a Gothic fiction story). I’ll then tell you what are the secrets of a successful horror story, and how to make sure to include them in your own text.

How to Write a Good Horror Story
Fear of the unknown is an integral part of horror stories. Fear is also intrinsically connected to action and inaction. If you want to learn how to write a good horror story, you must first understand its psychological underpinnings.
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