In the wake of the giant ‘Glass Onion’, Netflix’s newest major film, ‘The Pale Blue Eye’, came into existence somewhat quietly. It had a select cinema release in December and released on streaming on January 6, but has not taken over internet conversation in the same way.
‘The Pale Blue Eye’ is a gothic mystery-thriller set in 1830 that follows Detective Landor (Christian Bale) in his quest to solve the gruesome murders of cadets at West Point academy. In order to infiltrate the rigid silence of the young men, he recruits a brilliant young cadet named Edgar Allen Poe (Harry Melling). As the two begin to unravel the occult nature of the crimes, they uncover a chilling conspiracy hidden underneath the academy’s clean exterior.
Adapted from the Louis Bayard novel by writer-director Scott Cooper (‘Black Mass’), the film is visually stunning with strong performances from Bale and Melling, as well as excellent characterization from the writer. The back-and-forth moments between the older Landor and the young yet wistful Poe are the strongest moments of the film, as well as the beautiful, stark white and blue landscapes of the 1830s Hudson Valley setting. Bale will forever be an acting chameleon, able to portray absolutely anyone from an over-the-top stockbroker (‘American Psycho’) to a starving paranoid machinist (‘The Machinist’) to Dick Cheney (‘Vice’). His portrayal of the tenacious Landor suggests something bubbling beneath the surface in every scene, and along with Melling’s loveable depressed poet is the central drive of the story.
After a gripping first and second act, the finale section of the film paled in comparison. Many audience members took issue with the ending, specifically because of its abrupt twists and explanations that fall short of the buildup of the investigation. The plot loses the mark of ‘mystery’ in this third act and goes all in on the ‘thriller’ category because the resolution does not consist of clues available to the audience in the first and second acts, but rather, hinges on a series of details that are revealed right at the end. Though the way they are revealed feels unwieldy, the twists themselves are interesting and provide an even more sinister underscoring upon second glance.
The performances and period setting, combined with the unsettling gothic ambience, create a wonderful and unique atmosphere for a thriller. The ending, though partially incongruent with the main action of the investigation, is an interesting twist that aligns strongly with the moral core and eerie environment of the film.