Time: 130 Minutes
Cast:
Christian Bale as Augustus Landor
Harry Melling as Cadet Edgar Allan Poe
Gillian Anderson as Mrs. Julia Marquis
Lucy Boynton as Lea Marquis
Charlotte Gainsbourg as Patsy
Toby Jones as Dr. Daniel Marquis
Harry Lawtey as Cadet Artemus Marquis
Simon McBurney as Captain Hitchcock
Hadley Robinson as Mattie
Timothy Spall as Superintendent Thayer
Robert Duvall as Jean Pepe
Director: Scott Cooper

I was curious about The Pale Blue Eye. It’s a murder mystery thriller with a big cast including Christian Bale and Harry Melling, and is directed by Scott Cooper, who has made some good movies in the past. Considering the middling reviews, I actually liked it, probably more than most people. Though do think that it could’ve been better.

As a murder mystery, it has a fairly interesting plot, though it is a bit of a slow burn and the story could’ve been a little more intriguing. It also feels a little too straightforward and that something was missing from it. I liked the aesthetic and tone, but I think that it needed to lean further into the gothic aspects a little more for it to stand out. Some of the twists turned out to be fairly predictable, but there are some twists that worked, particularly near the end.

Christian Bale plays the lead role of the detective investigating the murders, in his third collaboration with Scott Cooper. It’s not one of his all time best performances when you consider all of his past work, but he still does a very good job. Harry Melling is the standout in the cast, playing Edgar Allen Poe who assists Bale’s character in the investigation. He is great and really holds his own in his scenes with Bale. The interactions between these two were probably my favourite parts of the movie. There is also a very good supporting cast, including Gillian Anderson, Lucy Boynton, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Toby Jones. Unfortunately, most of them were a little underutilized, save for a few actors.

Scott Cooper’s direction is solid as usual. It is very well shot, and has some great sets and costume designs. I really like the gothic atmosphere, and the movie is effective at conveying a dreary and cold feeling throughout. However, like I said earlier, I really feel like it could’ve leaned into the gothic, dark and weirder side of things a bit more. Cooper’s direction is again reliable, but maybe a bit too “normal” for this sort of movie.

The Pale Blue Eye is an atmospheric, gothic, and well made mystery thriller with good performances from Christian Bale and Harry Melling. I do think it could’ve been better, but I enjoyed it.