The Pale Blue Eye is a 2022 American mystery thriller about a veteran detective investigating a series of murders at the West Point Academy. In doing so, the detective is aided by a young cadet who will later become the famous author Edgar Allan Poe (played by Harry Melling).
Written and directed by Scott Cooper (A Head Full of Ghosts; Antlers; Black Mass), based on a 2006 novel by Louis Bayard. Co-produced by Christian Bale, Scott Cooper, John Lesher (Birdman), Tyler Thompson and Cross Creek (The Trial of the Chicago 7).
The movie stars Christian Bale (Amsterdam; Thor: Love and Thunder; The Dark Knight trilogy; American Psycho), Harry Melling (The Devil All of the Time; The Old Guard; Harry Potter franchise), Gillian Anderson, Lucy Boynton, Charlotte Gainsbourg (Antichrist), Toby Jones, Harry Lawtey, Simon McBurney, Timothy Spall, Hadley Robinson, Joey Brooks, Brennan Cook, Gideon Glick, Fred Hechinger, Matt Helm, Steven Maier, Charlie Tahan and Robert Duvall.
Plot synopsis:
West Point, 1830. In the early hours of a grey winter morning, a cadet is found dead. But after the body arrives at the morgue, tragedy becomes savagery when it’s discovered that the young man’s heart has been skillfully removed. Fearing irreparable damage to the fledgling military academy, its leaders turn to a local detective, Augustus Landor (Christian Bale), to solve the murder.
Stymied by the cadets’ code of silence, Landor enlists the help of one of their own to pursue the case, an eccentric cadet with a disdain for the rigours of the military and a penchant for poetry—a young man named Edgar Allan Poe (Harry Melling)…
Reviews:
“All the ingredients are here for a great mystery. Had the pacing been tweaked and the ending staged in a less manipulative way, it would have been a great mystery. Instead, the movie is just good enough to be a disappointment.” 2.5 out of 4, The Aisle Seat
“The Pale Blue Eye works with broad acting, and it seems to climax early, providing a level of resolution that plays into the strangeness of the murder scene and the discovery of additional victims. However, there’s more to the story, with the final 25 minutes of the endeavor providing a haunting understanding of motivation that snaps the tale into focus, giving The Pale Blue Eye a surge of emotion and dramatic power…” 3.5 out of 5, Blu-ray.com
” …enjoyable if entirely preposterous historical mystery thriller…” 3 out of 5, The Guardian
“Cooper takes us to plenty of atmospheric graveyards and Gothic Revival buildings, creating a consistently eerie and mysterious vibe, even though the 128-minute running time could be trimmed a bit (particularly during the first act). Regardless, it’s a smart mix of mystery and gothic genres with an iconic figure like Poe and an iconic location in West Point. Enthusiastically recommended for Poe fans…” J.B. Spins
“While it drags slightly and features an expedited third act, The Pale Blue Eye is a proper Gothic murder mystery that pays respectful homage to Edgar Allen Poe. Featuring a fine performance from Bale and an admirable effort from Melling as Poe, this is a film I’d point murder mystery fans and lovers of the Gothic aesthetic to. Make it a game to guess how many Poe literary references you can find while watching.” Nightmarish Conjurings
“If you’re wondering why an actor as formidable as Bale signed on to a role in which he solves a couple of murders and contributes to the development of a great American literary figure and not much else, well, he didn’t. It’s only after the supposedly central mystery is solved that The Pale Blue Eye fully commits to its actual business, serving up in full a tale of loss and wrong-headed resolution. Bale’s characterization, subtle and slightly enigmatic throughout, here blooms.” RogerEbert.com
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