Netflix's first 2023 movie The Pale Blue Eye gets the year off to a chilly start with several mutilations, lashings of Gothic mood, and one big reveal that will leave you questioning long into the credits.
Based on the book by Louis Bayard, the movie takes us back to 1830 at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. A cadet has been found dead after a supposed hanging, but doubts are raised that it was suicide when it's discovered that his heart has been removed post-mortem.
In an attempt to protect their reputation, academy leaders turn to esteemed local detective Augustus Landor (Christian Bale) to solve the murder. Landor, in turn, enlists the help of outcast cadet Edgar Allan Poe (Harry Melling) – yes, the famous writer – to uncover the truth from the inside.
But can the unlikely duo unravel the gruesome case before another cadet becomes the target of the killer?
Technically, The Pale Blue Eye marks the second murder-mystery released by Netflix in as many weeks, following Glass Onion. However, the two movies couldn't be further apart in their approach to the genre. And if you're expecting a twisty Glass Onion-esque romp, then you're watching the wrong Netflix movie.
Writer-director Scott Cooper – working with Bale on their third movie together, following Out of the Furnace and Hostiles – likes to take his time telling this lurid tale. It won't be a surprise for those who have seen Cooper's work, but anyone else coming fresh could find proceedings too measured for its own good.
Luckily, the world that Cooper has crafted with production designer Stefania Cella is visually striking. You'll feel like wrapping up warm as you watch The Pale Blue Eye, fully immersed in the stark Gothic surroundings of the academy.
On the big screen (the movie received a limited cinema release), you'd savour being in that beautifully realised world, however slow the plot progresses. At home, though, you might find your attention wandering, as the investigation deals more in discussions of mortality than twisty revelations.
Christian Bale and Harry Melling make for an engaging lead double act, with Melling given the showier role as Poe and Bale typically intense as the dour Landor. It's a flamboyant turn from Melling, complete with Southern accent and plenty of Poe-esque florid language that gives the movie a lightness it sorely lacks elsewhere.
There are a lot of recognisable faces among the supporting cast, although none of them really manage to make an impact. Gillian Anderson comes closest with a theatrical performance as Julia Marquis, but the movie would have been better served spending more time developing the characters than adding another 'Landor brooding' scene.
The Pale Blue Eye appears to wrap up naturally with around 30 minutes to go, but it's here where the movie pulls the rug out from under you. Everything has been so understated to this point that the major revelation comes out of nowhere, but it leaves you questioning its logic rather than marvelling at the audacity.
A repeat viewing rectifies this issue somewhat, as the knowledge leaves you watching scenes in a different light. You won't resolve all your questions with a second watch, but it does hold together better than you'd expect when you're initially blindsided by the development.
Whether you'd want to watch The Pale Blue Eye more than once will be the challenge, though. It's a well-crafted Gothic tale with solid performances, but its pacing won't be to all tastes and could leave you feeling cold.
The Pale Blue Eye is available to watch now on Netflix.
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