User reviews

Reminds me of Tim Burton's The legend of Sleepy Hallow. Its not as dark and scary as Burton's movie , but it is somehow more mature and realistic science wise. Great cinematic appeal , what makes it beautiful is this chilly, gothic lonely and at times frozen in time scenery which is breathtaking in this movie. No fake Green studious or design sets and obvious film stages, its all real nature with rich scenes. Its a A dark mystery that cuts deep, and leaves you empty once you understand the painful ending. Bale did good , getting old with his skills but he delivers. All in all this movie is worth two hours of your time.

Not an extraordinary detective, but a really solid one.

The good; director Scott Cooper is a craftsman at building up suspense. In many scenes where seemingly nothing much happens, there is still that AIR OF EERY SUSPENSE. That feeling under my skin that something is about to happen.

A mysterious, eery feeling permeates throughout this entire, mesmirizing story. And it gets more intense and mysterious towards the final...

More good: Christian Bale, Christian Bale, Christian Bale. One of my favorite actors and he has got the gift of method acting. He becomes the part. He is the part. And it is such a joy to watch him perform this role in such a way that it mesmirized me from start till finish...

Any bad? This movie starts out quite slow, but the tension and suspense, slowly but steadily, build up until the very fascinating end. So have some patience and you will be rewarded by a solidly made detective.

1830 and Detective Landor (Christian Bale) is summoned to the West Point academy to investigate the apparent suicide by hanging of a cadet, whose body was then subsequently mutilated. Unable to get much information from the closed shop academy, he enlists the help of a solitary cadet, one Edgar Allan Poe. Together they start to realise that this did not start with a suicide.

Enjoyable who and why dunnit mystery thriller set against the beautiful scenery and equally beautifully filmed backdrop of snow covered New York. Bale is convincing as the tough, canny detective haunted by the death of his wife and the disappearance of his daughter. Harry Melling as a truly eccentric Poe is also on good form delivering a performance just this side of over the top. Carrying this through with equal weight is the glorious supporting cast including Timothy Small as the camp commander, Simon McBurney cast against type as the tough Captain who isn't that keen on Landor being there, the great Toby Jones as the camp doctor, Robert Duvall as an eccentric expert that Bale consults and Gillian Anderson who can do no wrong in anything she does. A good, atmospheric and linear thriller then which should keep you guessing, although the coincidences in play as the story comes to a nonetheless satisfying conclusion are a bit of a stretch. Definitely worth catching.

Movie is an okay gothic mystery... but Christian Bale is the god of acting. And Harry Melling does a fantastic job too! Not to mention Gillian Anderson... so 10/10 for the casting and actors. It's worth watching this movie just because of them.

Script wise not a remarkable story in any ways, but it's solidly executed and the very belivable performance of the actors is what makes or breaks it in this case... and they all quite delightfully deliver! So yes, if you like spooky mysteries but mostly want to get blown away by some serious acting performances -this is the movie for you. Honestly the plot is kinda mediocre, but the acting so unproportionally stellar that i cannot in good conscience not recommend to watch this!

This movie at the heart of it, is a 19th century detective thriller with a twist. Set in the 1800s in a non-fictional location (West Point), with a non-fictional character (Edgar Allan Poe), in a fictional situation, makes for one engrossing & original story.

A very solid performance by both Christian Bale & Harry Melling. They brought their characters into the screen so convincingly. Both their performances where a stand-out.

Who would have thought that the boy who played Dudley Dursley (Harry Melling) in the "Harry Potter" movies would turn out to be such a great actor. His performance matches that of Christian Bale throughout the movie. IMO, Melling even outshining Bale. Such is the quality of Melling's portrayal.

The narrative is well paced, and beautifully shot. The set, costumes, and the old English dialogue, suits the period perfectly, and adds to the authenticity of the movie. This movie is not only a joy to watch but also to listen to. A directorial masterpiece by Scott Cooper.

VERDICT: If you like detective thrillers with a twist, then you'll love this movie. Highly recommended.

This is a movie that caught my attention early into the year. This came out on January 6th to Netflix if memory serves. I put it on my list of things to check out when I found out that this is horror. Having Christian Bale was a plus as well. What I didn't realize until settling in was that this is directed by Scott Cooper, who also co-wrote this. He worked with Bale on Out of the Furnace which I liked.

Synopsis: a world-weary detective is hired to investigate the murder of a West Point cadet. Stymied by the cadets' code of silence, he enlists one of their own to help unravel the case - a young man the world would come to know as Edgar Allan Poe (Harry Melling).

We start this with a quote from Poe about the boundaries of life and death. We then see someone hanging from a tree. It is foggy outside. It then shifts over to Augustus Landor (Bale). He is washing his hands in a creek. It is also quite snowy. What I will say here is that he is the world-weary detective. Life has given him a raw deal. His wife passed away and his daughter is missing. He lives in a cabin in the middle of the woods.

His life is changed with Captain Hitchcock (Simon McBurney) visiting him. They want this detective to solve what happened to the cadet we saw hanging. This was Cadet Fry (Steven Maier). A contract is agreed upon between Superintendent Thayer (Timothy Spall). The pressure is on due to politicians in Washington D. C. wanting to shut down West Point. This incident could give them the ammunition they need.

Referring to the synopsis, things aren't easy for Landor. That is when he enlists the aid of Cadet Poe. He is an odd boy who is bullied. He is fond of poetry and if memory serves, he is already published. Landor takes a liking to him as Poe is a brilliant code breaker already. He also can relay information the other cadets won't.

There are other players to deal with in this murder mystery. Dr. Daniel Marquis (Toby Jones) works at the school. His son also attends, Cadet Artemus Marquis (Harry Lawtey). Their mother is Julia (Gillian Anderson). There is also a daughter, Lea (Lucy Boynton). She is sickly, but brilliant at the piano. Poe takes a liking to her. Cadet Fry was friends with Randolph Ballinger (Fred Hechinger) and Cadet Stoddard (Joey Brooks). They all attended this school together. Landor also seeks the company of Patsy (Charlotte Gainsbourg), who works at the local tavern. There is also a professor who helps him in Jean Pepe (Robert Duvall).

Things heat up when Cadet Ballinger is also killed. Both his and Cadet Fry's hearts were stolen and a room is found where a ritual might have taken place. Landor and Poe have secrets they hide from each other, plus this school has ones of their own that complicate this story as well. Not everyone is as they seem.

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is that we have a solid murder mystery here. Having this set in the past is good. Also being at this isolated military academy as well. It is also in the early 1800s, that limits things in a way that helps the story. It also had my mind working. I originally wondered if this was a 'Jack the Ripper' story, but I double checked the years and this would be too early. From there, I focused on the fact that we have Poe as a character.

I think that is where I'll go as that is one of the best parts here. It feels to me that the writing duo of Cooper and Bayard have a good grasp on Poe lore as well as his works. I was picking up on references that sucked me in. The title The Pale Blue Eye made me think of 'The Tell-Tale Heart'. I believe that is the story where the narrator goes crazy due to this odd eye of the person he works for. Other references I notice is that Lea seems to be the basis for Poe's 'Lenore'. There are siblings here where the sister is ill could be referred to 'The Fall of the House of Usher'. There is also a raven seen throughout with the obvious one there. I appreciated the care and the knowledge that was put into this.

Then to go from there, I read trivia about how many believe Poe wrote the first detective story with 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue'. It is fitting that Poe as the character is helping Landor solve this case. What I want to include here is the pacing as well. Overall, I think that the mystery is good. It had me guessing at different things and trying to piece it together. I do have to say that I think this drags on in the third act as we move toward the resolution. I lost interest since I feel this at times tries to fit in too much. Where it ended up was good. I appreciated that. I just think we could get there a bit quicker without needing as much filler.

Now I did want to discuss if this as a horror movie. At the heart of it, we are getting a crime mystery/thriller. The horror comes from how brutal the crimes are. What is interesting though is that the first one is a hanging. The body is then mutilated. The crimes get more vicious from there. We also get an angle there whomever is doing this could be a Satanist. A ritual might be the reason for the murders. I still think this is light in this department, but we are getting them for sure.

That should be enough for the story so let me go to the acting. We have an amazing cast here. Bale is good as our lead. He is a tortured man who is trying to get by. He is tormented by things from his past so he turns to drinking. This investigation gives him purpose, at least until it is done. I liked Melling as Poe. He has a look about him that matches the images I see as well as just the demeanor of the stories/poems he wrote. I like that we had the likes of McBurney, Spall, Jones, Gainsborough, Boynton, Duvall and Anderson. There is also the younger cast who are cadets like Lawtey, Hechinger, Brooks, Maier and even Charlie Tahan. It is strong across the board in my opinion.

Then all there is left to into would be filmmaking. I did like the cinematography. It captures the era that we are set which is good. The costumes and the setting also helps there. There is a bleakness having this set during the winter. It almost drains all the color out. I appreciated that. We don't get a lot in the way of effects. We also don't need it either. What we got though looked practical, which I appreciated. Other than that, the soundtrack fit what was needed.

In conclusion, this is a solid murder mystery. It is light on the horror elements so if you are a fan there this might not be necessarily right for you. The story is interesting. There were twists and turns that kept me interested in most of it. I do think that it runs too long where it could be trimmed a bit. The cast is strong. The setting, cinematography and how this was made was also good. If you are fan of Poe, I think you can pull a lot from this. I'd also recommend it if you are into mysteries like this as well.

My Rating: 8 out of 10.

I really wanted to like this. I've had a lifelong interest in Poe, ditto West Point, ditto mysteries in general. But wow, this film just isn't very good. It's a slow, overlong, sadly uninvolving costume drama with a bunch of good actors -- including, weirdly, a handful of familiar British stars cast as West Point brass -- looking exceedingly stiff (and not in a good military sense). Except for Poe, I found it hard to tell the various cadets apart; they all looked stern and talked in haughty, stagey-sounding accents.

To its credit, this two-hour film definitely gets livelier in its final half hour; but overall, any random episode of "Inspector Morse" is likely to be better plotted, better written, and more gripping. While I haven't read the novel the film is based on, I strongly suspect that despite its nifty premise -- "Hey, let's set a murder mystery at West Point when Poe was a cadet there!" -- it is probably, in execution, as plodding as this film.

Disappointingly, you actually get to see very little of the military academy; instead, most of the action takes place in taverns and cabins and fancy dining rooms, or in the snowy woods. Despite the lengthy run time, we never get a good sense of the geography. West Point itself looks ridiculously understaffed, as if the entire institution is run by the same three British actors! All of them strut around looking sinister and secretive and bad-tempered for no apparent reason, except, I guess, a need to make the proceedings seem more interesting.

The good news is that Christian Bale makes an appealing 19th-century detective -- he wears an air of authority and seems genuinely sympathetic and intelligent -- and Harry Melling makes a dramatic, vividly romantic young Poe. Granted, it's unlikely the real-life Poe was as mannered and eccentric as the character in the movie, who also seems a bit too old and wise beyond his years. Still, as Melling plays him, he's never less than watchable.

From incredible acting to brilliant cinematography, The Pale Blue Eye has all the ingredients of a great movie... besides the story. I could spend all day praising Bale and Melling. These two were captivating enough to keep my attention for the 2hr+ run time. Unfortunately the plot twisted and twisted and twisted until all hope of a great movie were wrung dry.

Around the second act of the movie it becomes quite the snooze fest. This would have been much better as just a straight up revenge movie, rather than a long winded attempt at a mystery/thriller. There was absolutely no shock to the final reveals or twists. It was pretty disappointing to say the least, since it was marketed as a thriller.

Also, there is one CGI sequence in the movie that was so bad it made my wife and I burst out with laughter! Besides that, the rest of the movie looked aesthetically awesome and believable.

5/10 stars for the exceptional acting and cinematography.

This movie kept me hooked from the very beginning to the last scene. The atmosphere is mind-blowing, especially when watched during a winter night. The costumes felt very authentic and the cast did amazing job, especially Christian Bale as a detective and Harry Melling (who has become one of my favorite actors) as Edgar Allan Poe.

Another thing I must mention is the screenplay. The writers do not exaggerate the info-dumping and let the on-screen actions tell the story instead, which felt very natural. Some may complain about the runtime or the movie being boring. But although the opening is slow, it was necessary to build up the characters and establish a brilliantly twisted climax.

To me, "The Pale Blue Eye" seemed better than most other films of this genre that are being made by Hollywood these days.

Overall, I spent an enjoyable 2 hours and would recommend to anyone who is looking for a decent murder-mystery movie.

The Pale Blue Eye is a whodunit of uncommon brutality with a very strong atmosphere and a slow burning mystery that definitely burns a little too slowly for the most part but is ultimately worth it for the eventual reveal that recontextualizes everything for the better.

Augustus Landor isn't in the upper echelon of Christian Bale characters but Bale remains such a magnetic actor that his performance remains ridiculously engaging. There are long stretches that don't focus on Bale and it's impressive how good Harry Melling is as an extremely theatrical version of Poe that that isn't a problem.

Scott Cooper's direction is excellent, confirming him to be one of the most underrated directors currently working. The film feels so cold and there's some very striking iconography crafted with a well chosen final shot as usual. The music by Howard Shore works so well, suitably old fashioned with a bleak and grandiose nature to it.

The best quality about this movie is Christian Bale's standard good performance. And kudos for talented Harry Melling who portrayed Edgar Allan Poe and nailed his looks. Poor guy also obviously did the best he could do with the horrible lines he was given, but that was not enough to make his character likeable.

Yes, you read it right. They somehow managed to turn Poe, one of the most intriguing and mesmerizing figures in the history of literature, into this annoying and wimpy sidekick.

The rest of the characters are simply forgettable, with the exception of Gillian Anderson's who's even more cringe-inducing than this version of Poe. Yet another talent wasted with this mess of a script.

Story-wise, it is bad to a point that even the characters seem disinterested in the supposed big conundrum revolving around them. No one seems particularly impacted by the murder mystery, nor their personal relationships. We know that the characters (dis)like each other because we are told so, but we are shown absolutely nothing. Those little pieces of interaction between them convey zero emotion and character development.

The whole atmosphere is as dull as it gets. Not gloomy, not depressing, but monotonous like weather report. I think they were going for period piece, gothic novella and film noir at once, but it's none of it. Not even a glimpse of either of those genres. Just something that drags on for what seems like forever, and somehow still manages to omit the important pieces of information.

Still amazed how they persuaded this cast to participate in this project and honestly it is the only reason I gave it 4 stars.

Without reading the book that it was adapted from, I can tell this was probably better to read than watch. I say this, mainly, because the gothic atmosphere was just enough. But I wanted more. I wanted to feel the dread that the setting and narrative eludes to. That feeling would come and go. Perhaps that had to do with the pacing, which matched the icy, winter setting. Though slow, it gave me the time to take in visual aspects of this film. I believe that's one of the strengths that it has. Harry Melling's abnormally sunken features played a role in the uneasiness I felt as viewer. I really wanted more of Poe's works, especially from the Tell-Tale Heart, to play a role alongside Bale and Melling. I was excited to hear that heart beating under the floorboard. But it never came.

The real critics were a bit hard on this one. It's great acting and while horror may not be this directors accomplished art yet, it's so much better than most horror movies I watch. So I liked it alit. Great entertainment for even the most discerning viewer. But I don't read the reviews on here anymore, only the real critics. Why would I want to hear some uneducated schmuck or film school tell me what to watch when I've watched 1000s and 1000s of movies. You should skip them too, mine too if your reading this. The real critics were a bit hard on this one. It's great acting and while horror may not be this directors accomplished art yet, it's so much better than most horror movies I watch. So I liked it alit. Great entertainment for even the most discerning viewer. But I don't read the reviews on here anymore, only the real critics. Why would I want to hear some uneducated schmuck or film school tell me what to watch when I've watched 1000s and 1000s of movies. You should skip them too, mine too if your reading this.

This is becoming all too common in the Netflix era. Directors who write their own script too often become enamored of their own words to the point where the words overwhelm the plot, inhibiting the viewers' ability to follow along. Too often during this otherwise solid endeavor, director Cooper's copious verbiage all but obliterates the pacing. I spent far too much time rewinding because my mind wandered during the dull, oftentimes unrelated dialog.

Saying that, Bale is magnificent, as is Melling as Poe. The rest of the cast is fine, too, with the surprising exception of the usually reliable Gillian Anderson, whose overacting almost reaches mockery.

This overlong movie could be edited down, cutting out at least 20 minutes of dialog, making this a taut, original thriller. But Cooper's ego trips him up.

The Pale Blue Eye is an upcoming American horror thriller film directed by Scott Cooper and starring Christian Bale...

Contrary to popular belief, the film is based on the 2006 novel of the same name by Louis Bayard, not Edgar Alan Poe.

The film features Christian Bale as Landor and Harry Melling as Poe, as well as a cast that includes Gillian Anderson, Lucy Boynton, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Toby Jones, Harry Lawtey, Simon McBurney, Timothy Spall and Robert Duvall.

Timothy Spall is the most important name in all this staff.

Because he is the world's largest collector of antique cameras and photographs, and Hollywood uses his archive in many movies and TV series, including the ones he plays.

For example, the costumes, make-up and background in The Last Samurai movie were created from the photographs in his collection... In fact, the machines that are constantly in his hand in that movie belong to him.

In this movie, the crew made use of his archive... which they were successful in.

The film reflects the darkness of the period beautifully.

It was released in select theaters on December 23, 2022, before being released by Netflix on January 6, 2023. The film received generally positive reviews from critics.

In February 2021, it was announced that Christian Bale would take part in the project. He loved the ballet role and worked hard... It is obvious that he even watched Raven in 2021 and From Hell in 2001 in some places.

The film is Bale and Cooper's third film together, after Out of the Furnace and Hostiles. Bale and Cooper also produced alongside John Lesher and Tyler Thompson.

On March 6, 2021, it was announced that Netflix had pre-purchased the rights to the film from the European Film Market for approximately US$55 million.

In June 2021, it was reported that Harry Melling will play as Edgar Allan Poe.

Filming began on November 29, 2021 at the historic Compass Inn in Laughlintown, Pennsylvania.

In December, filming took place at Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania.

That month, it was announced that Gillian Anderson, Lucy Boynton, Timothy Spall, Fred Hechinger and Robert Duvall were involved.

Christian Bale is the one who specifically asked for Timothy Spall.

Pennsylvania Deputy Governor and Senator-elect John Fetterman and his wife, Gisele, are extras in a scene in the movie. Bale and Cooper became friends while filming Out of the Furnace in 2013 in Braddock, Pennsylvania, where Fetterman was the mayor at the time.

Bale said, "John has a great face, a bulky figure... And I said to Scott, 'We should have him on stage in the tavern... This man's face is a face that fits the 1830s.'

The movie, which was completed with a budget of 78 million dollars, will probably run in many festivals, especially gothic/horror festivals in the coming months.

The story of a movie is definitely the most important thing in all its factors and elements. If a story is well used, everything will depend on the director to obtain a final product worthy of being remembered outside the year of release. This movie has a wonderful story. It is a period mystery that gives us the participation of a popular real writer as one of the key pieces within the pavilion of fictional characters. Mystery, drama, thriller carried out impeccably by a luxury cast. Christian Bale and Harry Melling are extraordinary. The photography is very well done, taking advantage of the elements of the time portrayed. Excellent setting and visual and special effects.

A great movie that gives 2023 a very good start.

Eat your heart out, Hercule Poirot and Benoit Blanc. Here comes Edgar.

This moodpiece was a positive surprise. It shouldn't have been. Because I have become very fond of Scott Coopers work. 'Crazy Heart' (2009), 'Out of the Furnace' (2013) and 'Hostiles' (2017) were all very, very well-written dramas, with plenty of emotional beats. Hence it would have been more of a surprise if 'The Pale Blue Eye' wasn't, too: a well-written drama. If you are expecting a on-the-edge-of-your-seat thriller, this ain't it!

It does have a high production value, a great script and phenomenal acting by the cast, though. Harry Melling gives an Oscar-worthy performance portraying famous poet, Edgar Allan Poe, who assists the protagonist played by Christian Bale, solving a murder mystery in a military academy 200 years ago.

Nowhere near the potential in the concept. Christian Bale was good but the story line fell flat. Very drawn out and boring in my opinion. I waited months for this one and was very disappointed. I won't be recommending this one even though it filmed in my locality. Very predictable except for the ending that was also anticlimactic. Just didn't live up to my expectations maybe? I don't know. Judge for yourself. I'm no expert but was expecting so much from the previews and advertising. I also knew of the local hype for filming so this one was close to home. On a bright side there was some great scenery and cinematography!

While many period pieces drag on and seem to be rather uneventful imo this product from Scott Cooper certainly delivers on holding my full attention throughout with ominous settings and suspenseful scenery. Bale is obviously a huge part of that as well with his dedicated ambition as usual for his roles. The story doesn't drag and violence is on display, something that I've seen held back on in most thriller period pieces maybe aside from Sleepy Hollow (1998). Dare I say the execution of the set pieces and costumes were much more convincing as well and gave the film more authenticity. Overall I was surprised with this film and its effectiveness.

Relentlessly Cold Atmosphere Void of Color.

Sepia-Tones its Way Through a Slog of Story-Telling Narrated by Whispering Thespians Playing Famous with E. A. Poe, West Point, and a Gothic Gore-Less Grind.

About Half the World of Modern Cinephiles will "Bail" in the First-30-Minutes Citing "Bored"...

Do these 21 Century Knee-Jerks know any other pejoratives. Oh Yea They Do!... SLOW

The Other Half that Still Have the Virtue of Patience and May Find this Somewhat Different and Captivating.

One of the 10 Best Actors Working Today...Christian Bale...Brings His "B-Game" to this B-Movie (its Netflix after all), and Most Netflix Movies, No Matter How Well Funded, Tend to View and Feel Like Fancy B-Movies.

How This Happens is a Mystery that Other Streaming Services Fall Prey as Well.

The Most Interesting Factor, that is the Draw Herein, is the "Real-Life" Troubled Poet and Short-Story Icon...Edgar Allan Poe...

Fleshed Out of "Real-Death", and is Resurrected to Perform Fictionally (although he did briefly attend West Point), to the Delight of His Many Devotees, as a Detective Helping Bale as "Landor", Famous in the Story as a "Solver" of Mysteries.

Poe Does, with Landor's Help, Solve the Murderous-Mutilations, and Then-Some, that is the Basis for the 2nd Ending and a "Twist".

For the Aforementioned "Patient" Movie-Goers, it's a Tale that's...

Worth a Watch.

While this movie landed at a solid "fine" in the grand scheme of things... for me, I was quite disappointed with a good bit of it when really examined.

As the story opened and the mysterious happenings are introduced it is quite interesting and engaging, but after that it slows wayyy down and looses a lot of its intrigue. The plot standing alone was really not all that exciting or original but the movie managed to keep your attention for the most part and was nicely atmospheric. It felt like it was coming to a close with 30 minutes left and then you are presented with a turn of events that is presented in the form of a drawn out monologue, that while delivered well by the actor of Poe, was quite disappointing as far as a viewer goes... felt a tad lazy.

The actor that played Poe did an excellent job. It felt real and down to earth while keeping that eerie quirkyness. Christian Bale also did a good job but I don't think he had much to work with. There were no real complaints all around as far as acting went.

I think this ended up being moderately successful while also squandering a good amount of potential. The story felt a tad convoluted while also at its core really not having all that much to it. I would recommend, but know that you're not sitting down to a masterpiece.

2022 thriller movie. In 1830, one of the students was found hanged in a military school. The area's top detective is called in to investigate whether it was a suicide or murder. As the research continues, another mysterious death occurs. The detective will be assisted by the young poet Edgar Allen Poe, who is also a student at this school and has a very unusual personality. The film has an intriguing subject, great acting and an impressive conclusion. Musics is great. Christian Bale is outstanding as always.

One of the best movies I've seen on Netflix.

There is no sex or nudity in the movie.

Everything is perfect in this product: the cast, the technical elements (photography, sets, costumes, etc.) but also the dramatic framework of this investigation that turns out to be more complex than the beginning of the film suggests.

With a heavy climate of winter and autumn (big work on the photography) that gives an atmosphere to the film, an identity, almost unreal, that goes with the conclusion of the film.

The addition of Harry Melling in the role of Edgar Allan Poe allows to add elements to the plot, not necessarily irrational, but convolutions that give the flavor of this story.

However, we remain hungry, because the rational and primary side of our investigator Christian Bale will finally reveal things related to the irrational mixed with real concreteness (everything related to his wife). This discovery of the culprits of the murders is not a surprise, but leaves us wanting more.

Nevertheless Scott Cooper is gifted to paint atmospheres, coherent and dense universes.