Premiering in select theaters on December 23, The Pale Blue Eye, a gothic murder mystery interwoven with Edgar Allan Poe’s involvement as a detective, has made its way to Netflix. This gripping tale uncovers as a compelling whodunit.
Adapted from Louis Bayard’s 2003 novel, the story transports audiences to the snowy landscapes of upstate New York in 1830. Directed by Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Hostiles), the film begins with seasoned detective Augustus Landor (Christian Bale) being summoned to investigate a gruesome crime at the budding United States Military Academy at West Point.
Christian Bale portrays a seasoned investigator unraveling dark secrets at West Point (Photo The Pale Blue Eye/Cross Creek Pictures)The victim, Cadet Leroy Fry (Steven Meier), was found hanged, with his heart removed and stolen—a shocking twist discovered while his body was in the academy hospital. Landor, armed with a fragment of a note found in the victim’s hand, seeks the help of a young cadet, Edgar Allan Poe (Harry Melling), to uncover the truth.
Although the story is fictional, Poe’s brief tenure at West Point before his expulsion in January 1831 lends historical depth to the narrative. Together, Landor and Poe unravel chilling secrets, culminating in startling discoveries and a major twist.
The Path to the Truth’s Revelation
When Fry’s mother provides Landor with her son’s diary, another cadet, Randolph Ballinger (Fred Hechinger), is discovered murdered and mutilated in an identical manner. The diary reveals a close connection between Fry and Ballinger, along with hints that their friend, Cadet Stoddard (Joey Brooks), has fled the academy.
As the investigation deepens, Poe becomes romantically involved with Lea Marquis (Lucy Boynton), a terminally ill woman suffering from seizures. Lea, the sister of Cadet Artemus Marquis (Harry Lawtey) and daughter of Dr. Marquis (Toby Jones), carries an air of mystery.
Evidence soon links Artemus to Fry’s murder scene, leading Landor to uncover that the Marquis family conducted an occult ritual. Using Fry’s heart as a sacrifice, they sought to prolong Lea’s life. However, as the ritual’s effects faded, the family prepared Poe as their next victim.
Lea, with assistance from Artemus and their mother Julia (Gillian Anderson), drugs Poe and begins a ritual to harvest his heart. Landor intervenes just in time, leading to a fiery confrontation. The struggle results in the deaths of Lea and Artemus, crushed under falling debris, while Landor saves Poe and Julia.
The Truth Behind the Murders
Although the Marquis siblings are blamed for the killings, the narrative takes a final, unexpected turn. Landor’s past is unveiled in a pivotal conversation with Poe, revealing that his daughter Mattie (Hadley Robinson) didn’t run away, as he claimed, but took her life after being assaulted by three men from the academy.
Mattie’s death left Landor seeking vengeance. Evidence from Fry’s dog tag identified him as one of the culprits, prompting Landor to kill him.
The Marquis family, unaware of Landor’s motives, used Fry’s body for their ritual. Landor’s discovery of Ballinger’s involvement led him to repeat the crime, disguising it as part of the ritualistic murders. Stoddard, realizing his fate, fled in fear.
In a poignant moment, Landor confesses to Poe that he orchestrated events for Poe to uncover the truth, viewing him as the person to whom he could finally reveal his guilt. Faced with the choice to turn Landor in, Poe opts for compassion, burning the evidence and leaving Landor to endure his torment in solitude.
