“The Pale Blue Eye” has finally found a home on Netflix. Director Scott Cooper has been trying to bring Bayard’s novel to film for more than a decade. The streaming service shared the first trailer for the upcoming mystery thriller. Based on the novel by Louis Bayard, it stars Christian Bale as retired and weary detective Gus Landor. Pulled out of retirement to investigate a bizarre death at West Point Academy in 1830, Landor encounters American author Edgar Allen Poe, played by Harry Melling (“Harry Potter“).
A young cadet is murdered in a brutal fashion, the regiment mum on any and all information. Desperate for clues, Landor enlists the help of one within their rank; a young Edgar Allen Poe (Melling). Everybody loves a good mystery, and a stellar cast (like Robert Duvall and Gillian Anderson) makes up the film.
This isn’t the first time Bale and Cooper have worked together. Movies like “Out of the Furnace” and “Hostiles” have featured Bale’s character acting talents. And Cooper’s ability to weave morose and grim stories with powerful actors and settings. For the two to once again join forces, the film is sure to be one to watch.
Cooper enjoys stories with multiple layers, and sees Bayard’s novel as the perfect opportunity. “I thought, Okay, I have an opportunity to do three things with this film,” Cooper said. “Fashion a whodunit, a father and son love story, and then a Poe origin story.” Combine this with a murder mystery where everyone has secrets to keep, should make for a very entertaining watch.
“The Pale Blue Eye” will release on Netflix January 6th, 2023.
