25 ‘The Lighthouse’ Quotes That Will Leave You Questioning Your Sanity

The Lighthouse is a 2019 creepy psychological thriller that was an international co-production between the US and Canada.

The film mirrors many Poe elements but is more of a contemporary piece.

The movie stars Robert Pattinson and William Dafoe, as Thomas Wake and Ephraim Winslow, a pair of lighthouse keepers.

Many of these, The Lighthouse quotes come from conversations the men have as they slowly go mad from isolation and fear after a storm.

The story is filled with intrigue and secrets, like every good psychological thriller should be.

If you haven’t seen the movie already, you might want to because some of these, The Lighthouse quotes might spoil it!

The writers, brothers Robert and Max Eggers, do a splendid job making this movie weird enough to give it that creepy vibe, but relatable enough to leave you on edge, wondering just how you would react if you were trapped on a secluded island and no one was being honest.

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‘The Lighthouse’ quotes about Ephraim’s workload and responsibilities

1. “Get to your duties, or I’ll give you a real keelhauling.” — Thomas Wake

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2. Thomas Wake: “You’ve been neglecting your duties, lad! Don’t deny it.”

Ephraim Winslow: “I mopped and swept twice, I was…”

Thomas Wake: “You lying dog.”

Ephraim Winslow: “I swept them..”

Thomas Wake: “Tis begrimed and bedabbled. Unwiped, unwashed, and distained.”

3. Thomas Wake: “When the fog clears, you’ll work through the dog watch.”

Ephraim Winslow: “Dogging it? I was expecting to have to see to the lantern.”

4. Ephraim Winslow: “The rules is alternating shifts”

Thomas Wake: “It’s the mid-watch that’s to dread, lad. My watch. Night to morning.”

5. “Pay me no mind, lad. None. Fix us up some coffee. Long night ahead. Drop of coffee will do us good.” — Thomas Wake

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6. “Whitewash must be even, lad. Bright! Shining! Like a silver whorehouse token. Give them sailors a proper daymark.” — Thomas Wake

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7. “Keep your temper now, lad. Tis fine work and you’re making high marks in me logbook. Them’s gospel! I’ll drop you down a few feet.” — Thomas Wake

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8. “I said catch your breath, lad. Then bring that drum back down the ladder well where you found it. Unless you’re fixing to burn the whole light down. Then see to the rest of your duties. You’re behindhand already.” — Thomas Wake

9. “The cistern needs a looking to. One of your duties, lad. Or didn’t you read yourself about it? You’ll clean the brass and the clockwork, and you tidy the quarters after. There’s well more to be mended outside. You hear me, lad?” — Thomas Wake

10. “And I say you did nothing of the sort! And I say, you swab it again, and you swab it proper-like this time, and then you’ll be swabbing it ten times more after that. And if I tell you to pull up and apart every floorboard and clapboard of this here house and scour them down with your bare, bleeding knuckles, you’ll do it! And if I tell you to yank out every single nail from every moldering nail-hole and suck off every spec of rust till all them nails sparkle like a sperm whale’s pecker, and then carpenter the whole light station back together from scrap, and then, do it all over again, you’ll do it! And by God and by Golly, you’ll do it smiling, lad, cause you’ll like it. You’ll like it because I say you will! Contradict me again, and I’ll dock your wages. You hear me, lad?” — Thomas Wake

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‘The Lighthouse’ quotes about the sea

11. Ephraim Winslow: “You ever married?”

Thomas Wake: “Thirteen Christmases at sea, little ones at home. She never forgave it. Tis for the better.”

12. “I seen you sparring with a gull. Best leave them be. Bad luck to kill a seabird.” — Thomas Wake

13. “In ‘75 ‘Ol Striker were marooned here for seven long months, he was. The storm died on the mainland, but here, the waters were too rageful neither to launch nor land.” — Thomas Wake

14. “Can’t say I blame you. I heard tell about that life. Hard going. Work one man harder than two horses, they say. No thankee. The sea, she’s the only situation wanting for me.” — Thomas Wake

15. “Should pale death, with treble dread, make the ocean caves our bed, God who hears the surges roll, deign to save the suppliant soul. To four weeks.” — Thomas Wake

16. “The Chicopee, a fine one, she were. Clean-built and trig-looking! None more fleet in ‘64 than she. We were on the breaks, a mutiny it were. Why ask you? Why? What’s the terrible part of a sailor’s life, ask you, lad? Tis when the work stops when your twixt wind and water. Doldrums. Doldrums. Eviler than the Devil. Boredom makes men to villains, and the water goes quick, lad. Vanished. The only medicine is drink. Keeps them sailors happy, keeps them agreeable, keeps them calm, keeps them…” — Thomas Wake

‘The Lighthouse’ quotes that make you laugh

17. Thomas Wake: “You’re too slow. You a dullard?”

Ephraim Winslow: “No, sir.”

Thomas Wake: “Fooled me.”

18. Thomas Wake: “It’s bad luck to leave a toast unfinished, lad.”

Ephraim Winslow: “Meaning no disrespect.”

Thomas Wake: “A man what don’t drink, best have his reasons.”

Ephraim Winslow: “I ain’t trying for trouble.”

19. Ephraim Winslow: “This ain’t funny.”

Thomas Wake: “No, it ain’t. And I ain’t wanting to be stranded here with some damned lunatic.”

20. “Oh, don’t be such an old bitch.” — Ephraim Winslow

21. “You’re drunker than a Virginy fence.” — Ephraim Winslow

22. “You’ve been drunk since I first laid eyes on you.” — Ephraim Winslow

23. “Just, it seems powerful hard to eat grass with no teeth. Goats and sheeps and cows. Now, they all got teeth, don’t they?” — Ephraim Winslow

24. “Since we’re getting too friendly, Ephraim Winslow, tell me, what’s a timberman want with being a wickie? Not enough quiet for you up north? Sawdust itching your nethers? Foreman found you too high-tempered for carrying an axe?” — Thomas Wake

25. “Now look here, I ain’t never intended to be no housewife nor slave in taking this job. It ain’t right! These lodgings is more ramshackle than any shanty boy’s camp I ever seen. The queen of England’s own fancy housekeeper couldn’t do no better than what I done, because I tell you, I scrubbed this here place twice over, sir…” — Ephraim Winslow

Which of The Lighthouse quotes is your favorite?

The movie began as an undertaking by Max Eggers to finish a partial Edgar Allen Poe story, titled “The Light-House.”

However, when the project hit a roadblock, Max’s brother Robert offered to help.

The film is shot in black and white, even though it was released in 2019.

They also shot it using a narrow ratio that can hide things from the audience.

The aesthetics of the film contribute to its sense of secrecy.

The Lighthouse was nominated for Best Cinematography at the 92nd Academy Awards and 73rd British Academy Film Awards.

It won several other awards as well and has an approval rating of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, 8.05/10.

When you just read the plot, it seems like it is way out there, but Rotten Tomatoes critics have this to say: “A gripping story brilliantly filmed and led by a pair of powerhouse performances, The Lighthouse further establishes Robert Eggers as a filmmaker of exceptional talent.”

Did you enjoy reading this collection of The Lighthouse quotes and lines?

What did you think of the movie?

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