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The military life can be tough and demanding—and it comes with challenges and risks. But in The Pale Blue Eye, when a detective is summoned to a military academy to investigate a student’s death, he’s faced with something much darker and more disturbing than he expected.
The Pale Blue Eye arrives at West Point Academy on a winter morning in 1830, following the death of one of the cadets. Former constable Augustus Landor (Christian Bale) is called in to investigate the gruesome case of a student who died in an apparent suicide—but then, after the body had been moved inside, someone broke in and removed the heart. As he interviews the cadets, he finds that few have anything to say—except for an outsider named Edgar Allan Poe (Harry Melling), who’s eager to join in the investigation.
As the wintery days pass, Landor and his new assistant make little headway, discussing the case in secret meetings or over drinks. Landor is the typical world-weary detective with a tragic past. He’s suffered from the loss of his wife and the disappearance of his only daughter, and it’s made him dark and distant and moody—a gifted sleuth but not the kind of guy you’d want to spend time with at the local pub. Landor’s personality just adds to the film’s generally gloomy feel. The case is certainly intriguing, but everything about the film seems drab—from the settings to the characters to the investigation. It moves along at a deliberate pace, soaking in the atmosphere—but, eventually, all of the gloominess just makes it feel heavy and grueling.
Still, this eerie case is just the right fit for a young Poe, who brings some personality to an otherwise dreary mystery. Melling’s Poe is an eccentric outsider—odd and enthusiastic, but with a slight air of darkness and mystery. And, despite his quirks, he’s a welcome addition to this otherwise stone-faced cast of characters.
Together, the detective and the cadet eventually uncover the answers they’ve been seeking. Their case is wrapped up with an unexpected twist in the end—but, while the twist turns the whole story upside-down, it feels too coincidental and less than satisfying.
With its haunting case and its unlikely crime-solving duo—the world-weary detective and his poet assistant—The Pale Blue Eye is a dark and fascinating mystery—but the general dreariness of the film makes it feel slow and heavy. If you’re in the mood for a fast-paced mystery, stick with Glass Onion instead.
Following a brief theatrical release, The Pale Blue Eye makes its Netflix debut on January 6, 2023.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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