Premiering in the Midnight section of Tribeca, Roxy Shih’s BEACON is an intense psychological thriller horror fans should seek out. It is a two-person chamber piece with the great Demián Bichir and Julia Goldani Telles. A young sailor is rescued by the lighthouse keeper on a deserted island and she is not sure what his intentions are.
The setup brings Stephen King’s Misery to mind and Chekhov’s gun is introduced early on in the film. Shih and writer Julio Rojas keep the suspense intact throughout, never letting us know for sure whether Bichir’s character Ismael is a good guy or not until the final moments.
Nuno Malo’s eerie score fuels the tension and in a way becomes the third character. Things get increasingly ferocious leading up to a chilling and satisfying finale. One of the best films of the festival so far.
