The Pale Blue Eye

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2:09

The Pale Blue Eye

R

Released Dec 23, 2022

2h 10m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

62%

Tomatometer

189 Reviews

69%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

West Point, 1830. In the early hours of a gray winter morning, a cadet is found dead. But after the body arrives at the morgue, tragedy becomes savagery when it's discovered that the young man's heart has been skillfully removed. Fearing irreparable damage to the fledgling military academy, its leaders turn to a local detective, Augustus Landor (Christian Bale), to solve the murder. Stymied by the cadets' code of silence, Landor enlists the help of one of their own to pursue the case, an eccentric cadet with a disdain for the rigors of the military and a penchant for poetry -- a young man named Edgar Allan Poe (Harry Melling).

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Critics Consensus

The Pale Blue Eye lacks its source material's piercing gaze, but this well-cast mystery is just intriguing enough to investigate.

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Audience Says

The story has some soft spots, but The Pale Blue Eye mostly makes up for them with creepy atmosphere and some really impressive performances.

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Christina Newland

iNews.co.uk

The Pale Blue Eye falls flat in the conventionality of its final, fiery conclusion.

Rated: 3/5

Sep 18, 2024

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Amy Nicholson

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

I found the mystery itself a bit dull, but I liked the setting of this and the character Christian Bale is playing.

Jan 18, 2023

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Stephen Romei

The Australian

It’s made by a good director, has a fine cast, a compelling plot and an intriguing historical link to Poe’s fascination with death. Such elements make it worth watching, even if it does become predictable and silly by the end.

Jan 17, 2023

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Ally Ham

The Review Geek

A superficial story that takes one too many creative liberties.

Rated: 5/10

Jul 21, 2024

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Nuha Hassan

Nuha Hassan

Even with the strong performances of Melling, Bale, and the rest of the supporting cast, the mystery doesn’t provide a satisfying resolution despite the complex investigation that centres on the movie.

Sep 8, 2023

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Lee Zumpe

Tampa Bay Newspapers

Led by Melling, there are strong performances throughout, including a giallo-level turn by Gillian Anderson as Julia Marquis, and the always reliable Robert Duvall as Jean-Pepe, an occult scholar.

Aug 23, 2023

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ck55

fascinating story -- great cast

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/02/23

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Kirstie

Very good! Love the character development and the twist and turns.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/01/23

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Michelle

Powerful acting, beautiful cinematography, and a twist you dont see coming.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/31/22

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NYmoviefan

Brilliantly acted, wonderfully appropriate music, good plot, excellent cinematography. A winner.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/29/22

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Diane D

Beautiful filmed intriguing plot. Bravo to the author!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/24/22

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Mary

Movie was amazing! If you enjoyed the book youll enjoy the movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/24/22

Full Review

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Scott Cooper

Director

Christian Bale

Augustus Landor

Harry Melling

Edgar Allan Poe

Gillian Anderson

Mrs. Julia Marquis

Lucy Boynton

Lea Marquis

Robert Duvall

Jean Pepe

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The Pale Blue Eye: Trailer 1

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The Pale Blue Eye: Teaser Trailer

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Synopsis

West Point, 1830. In the early hours of a gray winter morning, a cadet is found dead. But after the body arrives at the morgue, tragedy becomes savagery when it's discovered that the young man's heart has been skillfully removed. Fearing irreparable damage to the fledgling military academy, its leaders turn to a local detective, Augustus Landor (Christian Bale), to solve the murder. Stymied by the cadets' code of silence, Landor enlists the help of one of their own to pursue the case, an eccentric cadet with a disdain for the rigors of the military and a penchant for poetry -- a young man named Edgar Allan Poe (Harry Melling).

Director: Scott Cooper
Producer: Christian Bale, Scott Cooper, John Lesher, Tyler Thompson
Screenwriter: Scott Cooper
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: Cross Creek Pictures, Streamline Global Group, Grisbi Productions, Le
Rating: R (Some Violent Content|Bloody Images)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 23, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 6, 2023
Runtime: 2h 10m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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