The Pale Blue Eye

At West Point in the 1830s a young cadet is found dead in a grisly scene that unsettles the academy and its officers. The death seems ritual and deeply puzzling, pushing the brass to hire a trusted investigator to uncover the truth. Augustus Landor, a former New York City constable with a keen eye for motive and a stubborn streak, is brought into the case. Landor must contend with the rigid codes of military life and the whispers guarding painful secrets. A curious cadet named Edgar Allan Poe joins the effort, proving to be a sharp observer and a gifted storyteller who unsettles Landor. Together they chase clues through ambition, jealousy, and buried histories. The landscape of power and honor complicates every step, making the search feel personal for both men.

Directed by Scott Cooper, the film adapts Louis Bayard's 2003 gothic crime novel The Pale Blue Eye. With a budget of 72 million, it arrived in 2022 as a prestige genre piece that blends mystery with dark atmospheric suspense. The production emphasizes period detail, from costume to set design.

Critics praised the moody atmosphere and Bale's steady Landor, while Poe supplies a sharp literary spark without derailing the investigation. Some reviews note pacing quirks, but the tension between class and power fuels the mystery. The film carries a 6.818/10 average from 2082 votes.

Box office figures are not widely reported. The release leaned on a limited theater run paired with streaming, a strategy common for prestige thrillers that aim to reach both cinema audiences and home viewers in a crowded market.

Awards: There are no major nominations noted for this title, which kept it off prominent year end lists. Still, the production earned praise for its craft, including production design and Bale's performance, and it remains part of discussions around late 2020s gothic crime cinema that value atmosphere over spectacle.