Is The Pale Blue Eye Worth The Watch?

Netflix. What started as a streaming service has quickly evolved into one of the biggest movie production studios of our time, offering up some of the biggest and best blockbusters of our time. Now, the service is back at it again with Netflix’s first movie of 2023: ‘The Pale Blue Eye.’

From a mystery to an unlikely duo and everything in between, it appears the film has just about everything it could need to keep people on the edge of their seats - and wondering what they have just watched long into the credits. Still, is ‘The Pale Blue Eye’ worth the watch? It just might be.

The Pale Blue Eye sees us travel to 1830

If you want to take a step back in time, you might want to buckle up and head over to Netflix, as the studio’s first movie of the year comes in the form of ‘The Pale Blue Eye’ and sees us travel all the way back to 1830. The thriller tells us that a cadet at the United States Military Academy has lost his life, with most assuming he ended his own life. The problem? Even though he is hanging, someone removed his heart once he lost his life. It’s not long before they turn to the esteemed local detective Augustus Landor (played by Christian Bale), to solve the crime. From there, Landor has little choice but to ask for help from outcast Edgar Allan Poe (played by Harry Melling) - and yes, we do mean the famous writer - to get to the bottom of the gruesome case before someone else loses their life.

Director Scott Cooper is known to take his time telling stories

While it might be the second of Netflix’s mystery movies to hit their screens in just a few weeks, ‘The Pale Blue Eye’ is something new. ‘Glass Onion’ couldn’t be further from the theme of the service’s latest hit, and that might not suit everyone. The story is written and directed by none other than Scott Cooper, who already has plenty of experience working with Christian Bale in the past. One thing many have learned is how Cooper loves to take his time telling his stories and getting into all the details, something that might not suit all audiences.

The plot might be a little slow for some

Being able to create such immersion in the gothic surroundings is one thing that sees ‘The Pale Blue Eye’ stand out above so many other recent movies. It has been released with limited cinema showings, which help to fully see someone engulfed by the visuals and feel of the world. The problem? It doesn’t always translate to people watching at home. It might not be long before some audiences have their attention on something else as they struggle to keep up with the grisly discussions instead of the revelations in the case that so many want to see. Thankfully, Christian Bale and Harry Melling more than make up for the pace of the story with their incredible chemistry.

Some of the cast gets lost among the story

Just because Christian Bale and Harry Melling are the two leading stars doesn’t mean that’s where things end in ‘The Pale Blue Eye.’ The likes of Gillian Anderson, Lucy Boynton, Timothy Spall, and Robert Duvall have all joined the ranks, but they sometimes seem to find themselves lost among the rest of the story. Instead of focusing on their stories and characters, ‘The Pale Blue Eye’ seems to prefer spending time on some Landor brooding scenes that take away from some of the storylines.

The Pale Blue Eye pulls the rug out before the final scenes

Just when you think ‘The Pale Blue Eye’ has wrapped everything up, the rug is well and truly pulled out from the audience’s feet, with 30 minutes to offer up a huge revelation. While it’s a twist that most won’t see coming, it’s left plenty of people questioning the logic of it all rather than marveling at what just happened. A repeat watch might be the thing that some need to watch all the former scenes with their new knowledge, but this might be more of a challenge than it seems on the surface. At just over two hours long, ‘The Pale Blue Eye’ certainly isn’t a quick and easy viewing.

Is ‘The Pale Blue Eye’ worth the watch? It might be. Then again, it depends on how much of a mystery you can take, as the thriller film certainly takes us through the wringer more than once. While it has the opportunity to go down as a classic, it might take a while for some audiences to warm up to Netflix’s latest offering.