The Pale Blue Eye
Stream
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.
What critics thought
A gothic mystery that divides critics fairly sharply: some find its atmosphere and casting intriguing enough to carry the slow burn, while others argue the convoluted plot never resolves satisfyingly and the third act actively undermines what came before. The film's period craft earned some admiration, but its narrative mechanics drew repeated fire.
“The Pale Blue Eye holds together remarkably as a gothic piece of horror... right up to the point that it doesn't”
Matthew Monagle·The Austin Chronicle
“over-acted, badly written, murder mystery dud”
James Verniere·Boston Herald
“the film keeps circling its convoluted plot without finding a satisfying place to land”
Peter Travers·ABC News
Genres
Crime, Horror, Mystery
Cast & Crew
Scott CooperDirector
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
Hadley RobinsonMattie
Fred HechingerCadet Randolph Ballinger
Howard ShoreComposer
Louis BayardWriter
Masanobu TakayanagiCinematographyThe Pale Blue Eye
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.
What critics thought
A gothic mystery that divides critics fairly sharply: some find its atmosphere and casting intriguing enough to carry the slow burn, while others argue the convoluted plot never resolves satisfyingly and the third act actively undermines what came before. The film's period craft earned some admiration, but its narrative mechanics drew repeated fire.
“The Pale Blue Eye holds together remarkably as a gothic piece of horror... right up to the point that it doesn't”
Matthew Monagle·The Austin Chronicle
“over-acted, badly written, murder mystery dud”
James Verniere·Boston Herald
“the film keeps circling its convoluted plot without finding a satisfying place to land”
Peter Travers·ABC News
Genres
Crime, Horror, Mystery
Cast & Crew
Scott CooperDirectorChristian BaleAugustus LandorHarry MellingEdgar Allan PoeLucy BoyntonLea MarquisToby JonesDr. Daniel MarquisSimon McBurneyCaptain HitchcockTimothy SpallSuperintendent ThayerRobert DuvallJean-PepeHarry LawteyArtemus MarquisGillian AndersonJulia MarquisCharlotte GainsbourgPatsyHadley RobinsonMattieFred HechingerCadet Randolph BallingerHoward ShoreComposerLouis BayardWriterMasanobu TakayanagiCinematographyStream