The Pale Blue Eye is a film written and directed by Scott Cooper starring Christian Bale, Harry Melling and Gillian Anderson. It is based on the novel by Louis Bayard.
‘The Pale Blue Eye’ is an entertaining thriller set in the era when E. A. Poe was a young cadet at West Point. It follows a classic murder mystery structure, with a development that, however much we try to convince ourselves otherwise, begged for more intensity.
Premise
A seasoned detective investigates a series of murders at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point in 1830. He is assisted in his investigation by an intelligent and eager young cadet named Edgar Allan Poe, who will go on to become one of America’s most influential authors and the originator of the detective genre.
Movie Review
Here we have a thriller that promises more than it delivers. It does not have all the depth we had hoped for, and despite all its literary references it is incapable of standing out from other historical thrillers.
A story told at a slow pace, and that considering the premise could have gained more traction and been
more suspenseful.
The movie has many things going for it: an extraordinary cast, among them Christian Bale, and an excellent production team. With that in mind, The Pale Blue Eye could have become a memorable film, but the choice in tempo, and the cold distance in its narrative does not manage to reach into the collective imagery that begets the engagement of the viewer.
What is remarkable n this film are the performances, with Harry Melling bringing about a plausible and convincing portrayal of Poe, and who offers us the few humorous and witty strokes the film offers.
With all the promise it had, it is ultimately a merely entertaining thriller, that rarely finds its space and voice.
Release Date
23 December in theaters
January 6 on Netflix
Where to Watch ‘The Pale Blue Eye’
Director
Scott Cooper
Cast
 Christian Bale / Augustus Landor |  Harry Melling / Edgar Allan Poe |
 Gillian Anderson / Julia Marquis |  Robert Duvall / Jean-Pepe |
Timothy Spall
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Lucy Boynton
Toby Jones
Charlie Tahan
Harry Lawtey
See full credits >>