After a brief run in limited theaters over the holiday season, the period horror thriller The Pale Blue Eye arrived on Netflix on January 6th.
Christian Bale stars as Augustus Landor, a veteran detective hired to solve a series of murders that took place in 1830 at the US Military Academy at West Point, New York. He is assisted by a young cadet who will later become a world-renowned writer – Edgar Allan Poe, the master of gothic fantasy, played by The Queen’s Gambit’s Harry Melling. The cast also includes Gillian Anderson, Toby Jones and Timothy Spall.
“While the picture looks wonderfully atmospheric throughout, with its frosty monochromes and consuming color palette, the story dissolves into a maddened and rather silly final act,” he writes The Observer (opens in new tab).
The Telegraph (opens in new tab) praises the film’s sound, but thinks the film is lacking in other areas: “Howard Shore’s usually excellent moody score helps us move through the wasteland. pulse and a puzzling absence of red meat.”
Concerning The Hollywood Reporter (opens in new tab)their review says: “It’s one of those beautifully staged period pieces that needs to get under your skin; instead, it tumbles from scene to scene with little momentum or tension, remaining just this side of inert.”
However, according to The Jewish Chronicle (opens in new tab)“The frankly risque big reveal aside, the film still manages to be smarter and more original than most of the countless B-movies being churned out by Hollywood right now.”
The Pale Blue Eye is now streaming on Netflix. For more viewing inspiration, complete your watchlist with our guide to the best upcoming movies in 2023 and beyond.
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