I expected so much more from the movie, as the director's prior movie, The Witch, was an excellent film. Additionally, the trailer for this movie immediately intrigued. However, upon seeing it, I left the theater initially confused but then after realizing it wasn't worth much energy, I just accepted the reality of my reaction: disappointment. It was underwhelming. The first hour or so was intriguing and certainly set things up in an intriguing manner but what was set up was ultimately neglected in a pursuit for style and atmosphere over substance. The movie is most definitely a play at metaphors, symbolism, hidden meaning, references to seafaring myths, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Greek myths (a seeming melding together of Sisyphus and Prometheus), and so on but the muddled execution made me suspect that there wasn't nearly as much going on as the cinephiles and movie theorists will invent for it.
Essentially, after the first hour this became narratively unclear and focused instead on repetitive fever dream scenarios and bombastic speeches and emotional conflict between the two characters - all of which were well done and well executed but only raised question marks without a clear story or message. Perhaps it is possible to decrypt it but nothing about the themes or the atmosphere or the story was compelling enough to merit the effort of seeking deeper meaning in this movie. The movie was cinematographically fantastic, well acted, well made, and so on. But the script and story failed after the first hour.
Essentially, after the first hour this became narratively unclear and focused instead on repetitive fever dream scenarios and bombastic speeches and emotional conflict between the two characters - all of which were well done and well executed but only raised question marks without a clear story or message. Perhaps it is possible to decrypt it but nothing about the themes or the atmosphere or the story was compelling enough to merit the effort of seeking deeper meaning in this movie. The movie was cinematographically fantastic, well acted, well made, and so on. But the script and story failed after the first hour.