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 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.

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.

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.

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 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.

As a whodunit, it is a finely functioning affair. A few twists and turns are somewhat outrageous at times. And an eagle-eyed viewer can figure out the ultimate resolution fairly early in the narrative.

But the film is more than a plot.

There is much evocative enjoyment from the setting - which is decidedly bleak with Eastern Pennsylvania standing in for the Hudson River Valley. Rather refreshing that this was not shot in Central Europe. But the wintry locale does add a tremendous amount of verisimilitude and atmosphere to the storytelling.

The film is also ably serviced by a competent cast. Every member is up to the task and seemingly having a good time in their roles. And while Bale has top billing, this film is 100% Harry Melling's to command. Just as Hal Holbrook went on to be the living embodiment of Mark Twain, Melling has captured the Baltimore Bard's appearance and spirit. He has a future in doing Poe readings and playing him in award-winning productions for decades to come. Melling's performance here is that mesmerizing. Dudley Dursley has come a long way from Privet Drive.

Oh and the awesome former Lt Governor (now junior Senator) of the Keystone State can be seen as the pipe-smoking patron at the end of tavern bar. You can't miss his remarkable face.

Timothy Spall, Toby Jones, an over-the-top Gillian Anderson and an almost unrecognizable Robert Duvall all lend their sizable talents to what is a good suspenseful movie with a lot going for it.

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.

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.

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!

Always appreciate a good gothic story. The Pale Blue Eye with the breathtaking cinematography and outstanding performance of Harry Melling as a young Edgar Allan Poe turns into an enjoyable mystery triller with a shocking twist at the end. Christian Bale brings, as expected, another great performance to his career. While the narrative can turn a little repetitive and the story could have been more developed the atmosphere and ambience is enough to keep you entertained and glued to the screen. Props to Netflix for doing a proper adaptation of this 2003 novela by the mystery author Louis Bayard.

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.

The acting was outstanding - Christian Bale was as solid as always and Harry Melling was outstanding as a - likely very accurate (behavior & personality-wise) Edgar Allan Poe.

The film looked great, although you could tell budget-wise they probably didn't have a lot to work with so the scope was narrow.

The pacing was slow for most... (and issue with all of Cooper's films). For a mystery there wasn't really any of the heart racing sprint to the details and although there was a climax in the story - I was built up and didn't pay off like the great movies of this genre.

And I think that was the biggest hang up - the story and the mystery just doesn't feel very deep... it feels very generic and straight forward... like a weekly police procedural tv show - which is disappointing because of the depth of Edgar Allan Poe's writings.

Although Poe is just a character in Louis Bayard's story - I was hoping for some of the intellectual depth of a Poe story.

This film reminds me a lot of Hostiles - there is so much space/breath given to dialogue and scenes and such a lack of score to build scenes or add depth... that it kind've feels empty.

That being said, watch the movie - hopefully it does well and filmmakers are more encouraged to adapt more Poe-related material!