Synopsis
West Point, New York, 1830. When a cadet at the burgeoning military academy is found hanged with his heart cut out, the top brass summons former New York City constable Augustus Landor to investigate. While attempting to solve this grisly mystery, the reluctant detective engages the help of one of the cadets: a strange but brilliant young fellow by the name of Edgar Allan Poe.
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Cast
- Christian BaleAugustus Landor
- Harry MellingEdgar Allan Poe
- Lucy BoyntonLea Marquis
- Toby JonesDr. Daniel Marquis
- Simon McBurneyCaptain Hitchcock
- Timothy SpallSuperintendent Thayer
- Robert DuvallJean-Pepe
- Harry LawteyArtemus Marquis
- Gillian AndersonJulia Marquis
- Charlotte GainsbourgPatsy
Recommendations
- 83
Collider
It may be Cooper’s best historical film, and perhaps that’s because there’s a distinct melancholy to it that is etched into the bones of Virginia’s finest—just like Poe. - 80
TheWrap
Scott Cooper has directed a film with a gimmicky premise but genuine dramatic weight, anchored by handsome filmmaking and striking performances. - 70
Los Angeles Times
For its visual appeal alone it’s worth a theatrical visit ahead of its Netflix premiere next month. - 67
Austin Chronicle
There’s still a lot to recommend in what is largely a charming little occult thriller, but Cooper still has a way to go before he can fully trust his instincts in horror. - 60
The Guardian
As things turn out, this case turns on a rather ridiculous coincidence: but never mind, it’s an entertaining piece of counter-factual noir. - 58
IndieWire
The Pale Blue Eye begins to double as a stiff but fanciful origin story for both Edgar Allen Poe and also the detective genre he would later help shape. The best stretches of Cooper’s thin and unhurried script find the film checking those two boxes at the same time, as its occult fascination enriches its all-too-human crimes (and vice-versa) until the border that separates this world from the next becomes as blurry as that which runs between reason and madness. - 50
The A.V. Club
This is a case of one movie with two endings, and neither of them totally satisfy. - 50
The Hollywood Reporter
This third collaboration between writer-director Scott Cooper and Christian Bale (following Out of the Furnace and Hostiles) is far stronger on gothic atmosphere than suspense. It’s capably acted and visually effective, with lots of mist-shrouded woodlands and chiaroscuro interiors, but the storytelling is stilted and uninvolving.
