Summary
On the surface, it seems like Robert Eggers' folk horror filmsThe WitchandThe Lighthousecould be connected in the same universe, just a couple of hundred years apart. Eggers, who willreleaseNosferatulater this year, has built a solid reputation for creating fantastic slow-burn horror. When his films start to develop patterns of tonal similarities,viewers can’t help but wonder if the stories are intertwined and take place in the same timeline. Eggers has been asked about the connectivity betweenThe WitchandThe Lighthousesince the latter’s release in 2019.
Both movies are described as New England folk tales taking place in the same region, but the events ofThe Witchhappen in the 1630s, whileThe Lighthouse’s real-life-inspired storyoccurs more than 200 years later, in the 1890s.Just because they are regionally similar doesn’t mean they have to co-exist in the same universe, but there are transitional clues from one movie to the next that could potentially suggest a singular timeline. Additionally, both films' themes, historically accurate dialects, and focus on American mythology suggest a natural flow between them.
June 20, 2025
The Witch’s “Wouldst Thou Like To Live Deliciously” Quote Explained
What does The Witch quote “Wouldst thou like to live deliciously” mean and why is Anya Taylor-Joy’s character Thomasin so easily swayed by the offer?
The Theory That The Witch & The Lighthouse Are Connected Explained
It Was Theorized That The Northman Would Be The Third Film
Realizing the films seem to flow into one another seamlessly when watching them back-to-back, some in the horror community have theorized thatThe Lighthousetakes place after the events ofThe Witch.The theory not only comes from films' parallels but also from how they reflect on one another.Many see the movies as opposites that fill in each other’s negative space, even visually, asThe Witchshows the story’s horror in full color, whileThe Lighthouseopts for black-and-white. Both films also look at many of the same themes from opposite angles.
The theory made the rounds before Eggers releasedThe Northmanand announced his work on his new version ofNosferatu. Even sites likeMediumwere suggestingthatThe Northmanwas probably going to be part of a connected New England folklore-inspired trilogy.The theories died down onceThe Northmanwas seen to be an epic Nordic fantasy film, but there are still rumors that Eggers will connectThe WitchandThe Lighthousemore overtly with a third movie at some point.
There Are Many Similarities Between Robert Eggers' 2 Horror Movies
Religious Themes, Mythological and Supernatural Forces, and Transitional Dialect
Aside from their obvious locale connection,there are a number of similarities betweenThe WitchandThe Lighthousethat tie them together. Some larger connections are their tonal and thematic similarities regarding religious and sexual oppression, Puritan lifestyles, and whether God and the devil exist and how they affect the mythological or supernatural forces at work. Both films have main characters who invoke the names of particular gods in relation to the events.
The films' natural transition of dialect for their time periods suggests a possible shared timeline as well.The Witch’s dialect comes from a variation of the traditional Yorkshire accent that early New England settlers used and then continues to follow the historical accuracy inThe Lighthousewith the northeastern coastal dialect that evolved from it. According toNew England Folklore,both films follow themes of loneliness in their main characters, brought on by their religious obligations and fear of judgment, even to the point (inThe Witch’s case), of being cast out.
Robert Eggers Confirmed The Witch & The Lighthouse Are Not In The Same Universe
Eggers Sees Them As “Companion Pieces,” Not Connected
Unfortunately for those who have theorized the connection betweenThe WitchandThe Lighthouse,Robert Eggers has gone on record saying that the films are not connectedand not part of any “Eggers-verse” that would conclude in a trilogy. In an interview withBloody Disgusting, Eggers reiterated that while they weren’t in the same universe, both films fit in well together and would make a great double feature. About the prospect of being intertwined in the same timeline, Eggers said in the interview:
“It’s not like I’m trying to make a ‘Robert Eggers Cinematic Universe’, where there’ll [be] a third New England horror-adjacent folk tale where the ghosts of Thomasin the Witch teams up with the One-Eyed Seagull to harass a nice couple who starts a B&B somewhere in New England in contemporary days.
But yeah, both films are me trying to commune with folk culture of my past and are me and my brother’s take on New England folk tales. So they’re certainly companion pieces.”
It’s always fun to pick up on the thematic similarities and links between two movies, especially from the same director, and try to connect them in the same cinematic universe. However, it’s also important to appreciate films on their own.The WitchandThe Lighthouseareboth brilliant masterpieces individually and should be seen as such, regardless of how well they complement one another or how easily they could transition into each other. If the filmmaker of the movies says they aren’t connected in any way, as Robert Eggers has, that should be taken at face value.
The Witch
Cast
The Witch follows a 1630s family that relocates to a remote New England farm. Strange, unsettling events transpire, causing mounting suspicion and paranoia. This testing environment challenges the family’s faith, loyalty, and love amid isolation and tension as they confront the unknown forces lurking beyond their new home.
The Lighthouse
The Lighthouse is a psychological thriller directed by Robert Eggers. Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson star as Thomas Wake and Ephraim Winslow, two lighthouse keepers who begin to experience strange and supernatural phenomena after they get stranded on a remote island in the 1890s.
