Upamanyu Biswas
With Eric Howell in the director’s seat, Lifetime’s ‘Murder at the Lighthouse‘ tells a harrowing tale of survival through the point of view of a domestic abuse victim named Jessica Vickers, also known as Jess. After suffering at the hands of her controlling husband, Colton, Jess decides to run away by hiring a fishing boat that will take her to Canada. The plan goes awry when a deadly storm hits the region, capsizing the boat and leaving her stranded in a remote part of the world. She is rescued by a sympathetic lighthouse keeper, Adeline, who nurses her back to health. The two strike a friendly cord that helps Jess come to terms with her past choices. However, as time passes in their little cabin by the lakeside, Jess begins to realize there is something sinister about her caretaker, and her life may be under threat. SPOILERS AHEAD
Murder at the Lighthouse is a Visually Captivating Story Layered With Suspense
‘Murder at the Lighthouse’ is a thriller movie staged around the idea of trauma and cycles of violence. The film metaphorizes the idea of running away from conflict and how it can snowball into something worse when not dealt with properly. Jess is a survivor of abuse who flees from her aggressor, only to land in a worse situation with no way out. As a result, the movie poses some interesting questions about morality, personal growth, and learning to face trauma headfirst. The variety of stunning visual shots adds a sense of serenity to the environment, especially with the tranquil waves hitting the shore. It brings to life the loneliness and isolation of the lighthouse, which is disparate from the rest of the world, maintaining a haven of reclusiveness.
The central mystery of the piece lies in the shifting nature of Adeline, the lighthouse keeper. The story begins with Jess trusting Adeline as a motherly figure who is providing her care. However, as the narrative progresses, her character metamorphosizes into something dark, disturbing, and chilling. The movie slowly adds to the tension, allowing the conflict, drama, and mystery to build with every scene. Additionally, there is also the lurking threat of Colton hanging in the air. There is never a moment to relax in ‘Murder at the Lighthouse,’ particularly as the sinister mood of the backdrop and the duplicitous nature of the characters keep the audience guessing until the very last scene. It’s a taut and well-crafted psychological exploration of a trauma survivor’s meeting with hell.
Murder at the Lighthouse Plot Synopsis
‘Murder at the Lighthouse’ begins with Jess arriving at a pier, where she meets up with Rory and Anthony, two brothers who run a fishing boat business. Although there is a storm brewing on the horizon, Jess decides to take a ride to the other side of Lake Superior with the help of Rory, her former lover. It turns out that Jess is fleeing something and needs urgent assistance. Despite the storm warning, she and Rory take off into the night while Anthony heads back home. Later, a mysterious man identifying himself as a police officer stops by Anthony’s house and questions him regarding Jess’ whereabouts. When Anthony is reluctant to answer, the man, Colton, attacks him and chokes to death. In due time, we learn that he is Jess’ abusive husband.
Desperate to run away from Colton, Jess and Rory navigate the treacherous waters as the storm approaches. Unfortunately, things take a turn when the waters become choppy and the boat capsizes. The next morning, a lighthouse keeper on a different section of the lake wakes up and finds Jess washed up on her shore. She takes in the injured woman and places her under her care. When Jess wakes up, she finds that the woman, Adeline, has taken care of all her needs and even prepared some food for her. Jess is utterly thankful for Adeline’s help but feels obligated to stop impeding on her hospitality. She asks Adeline if she can somehow help her leave and find her way outside the country. Adeline promises to help but asks Jess to rest in the short term as she is not fully healed.
Jess and Adeline begin to connect with each passing hour and day. However, matters get complicated when Jess realizes that Colton is still looking for her. She gets especially scared when Colton stops by the lighthouse to enquire about Jess. Although Jess provided a fake name to Adeline (Lucy), she comes clean about her identity following Colton’s stop by the house. She also tells Adeline that Colton knows she is in the vicinity. Subsequently, the two women prepare to defend the house, expecting Colton to come and look for Jess again. Adeline hands Jess a harpoon cannon and tells her to confront Colton by herself. Despite being hesitant, she does so, and Adeline comes to her aid to subdue her husband. As Jess walks away to gather some rope to tie Colton, Adeline does the unthinkable and kills him mercilessly, exhibiting some disturbing characteristics that become relevant later.
Murder at the Lighthouse Ending: Why Does Adeline Lock Up Jess?
After Colton’s passing, Adeline’s behavior around the house becomes increasingly dubious, showcasing a darker side she kept hidden from Jess at the beginning. She becomes obsessed with keeping Jess in the house, even going so far as lying to keep her from mounting any escape. She constructs a falsehood around the notion that there are no phones around the house. Later, when Adeline heads off for a supply pickup, Jess discovers a perfectly functioning phone in a locked chest in the living room. She uses it to gain signal and connect to the outside world. However, Adeline discovers her ploy and confronts her about it, telling her that she lied to Jess for her own benefit. Things take a seriously dark turn when an exhausted Jess decides to leave the house regardless of the consequences, only for Adeline to cripple her with a blow behind the legs.
Jess is then locked up in Adeline’s bedroom, with chains attached to her broken legs. Adeline tries to assure Jess that this is all part of the plan and she will take care of Jess for as long as she needs. However, Jess is terrified of Adeline and cannot understand why she is being kept a prisoner. Adeline explains that she, too, had an abusive past like Jess once upon a time, and like her, she took matters into her own hands and dealt with the situation by fighting back. Subsequently, she took over the lighthouse duties and has led a reclusive and lonely life for the past few decades. As a result, the woman has lost her old humanity and hopes that a connection with Jess will bring it back. Thus, she keeps Jess locked in for a selfishly motivated reason.
Does Adeline Kill Deputy Foster?
Despite having no power of her own, Jess rebels against Adeline at any opportunity she gets. She stages a plan to go outside under the guise of getting some fresh air, all while planning to attack her with a sharp piece of ceramic she gathers from a broken bowl. However, she is unable to do so for emotional reasons, and Adeline catches on to the secret. Subsequently, the older woman drags Jess down to the shed outside and locks her within. Jess is distraught by this new development and screams for help. Eventually, she realizes no help is arriving and decides to see if there are any ways to escape, which she does using a clever technique with a glass picture frame. Adeline returns in the evening and is trapped in the shed by Jess.
Jess then heads inside the house and finds the flare gun Adeline always keeps with her. She uses it to send some flares over the lake, hoping that someone might notice and come looking for her. Fortunately, Deputy Officer Foster does. He had already been suspicious of Adeline’s cryptic answers and clearly had an alert eye set on the woman’s residence. He heads over to the lakehouse but is only greeted by Adeline. The woman managed to escape the shed and captured Jess once more. Deputy Foster hears signs of struggling within the house and heads inside with his gun raised. He sees Jess writhing on the floor but is unable to help her before Adeline shoots him from the back. He passes out while Jess manages to free herself from her bonds and runs away.
What Happens to Jess?
In the film’s final moments, Jess and Adeline face off against one another in the same spot where the latter found the protagonist. At the time, Jess was in a terrible state, and Adeline rescued her from death. However, in the present moment, the two are at each other’s necks. Jess desperately tries to hold her own against the raving woman. Unfortunately, Adeline is too strong for her, and Jess nearly succumbs to her force. At the last moment, with death nearly upon her, Jess manages to grab a branch and knock Adeline off her. The latter lands on a sharp, jutting piece of wood, where she is impaled. Despite being put through one nightmarish situation after another, Jess holds on to Adeline’s hand as the woman dies from her injuries. Although it is disturbing, it showcases Jess’ determination and growth to be able to confront her trauma head-on and not balk under the pressure.
The police arrive not long after and tag Adeline’s body. Meanwhile, Jess sits nearby and watches them go about their business with a placid look on her face. She is clearly going through mixed emotions after her terrifying ordeal but is mainly relieved that it is finally over. She calls up her mother and tells her she is coming home. Thus, after facing danger after danger and surviving one terror after another, Jess has managed to come out of them all relatively unscathed but stronger for the journey. Her experiences will likely traumatize her, but she has also gained the strength to move past situations and not run away from them as she did in the film’s beginning. To that end, Adeline imparted a valuable lesson to her – to fight for herself – despite the fact that she later tried to kill her.
Read More: Murder at the Lighthouse: Filming Locations and Cast Details
