Scott Cooper’s “The Pale Blue Eye” screened last week to some positive reactions. This film is currently flying under the radar, nobody is really talking about it, despite its prime awards-ready release date and Christian Bale starring in it.
Maybe it’s because the film skipped all the fall festivals and is going straight to theaters. Regardless, a redditor saw it recently and thinks it deserves awards:
“I saw The Pale Blue Eye at a screening recently and I thought it was VERY good. Christian Bale's character reminded me a lot of his character in The Prestige. Similar accent, look and demeanor. And this film has a surprising ending. It's based on a 2003 novel I hadn't read. Don't spoil yourself if you don't already know. You'll really enjoy the ending. All that to say - I think Christian Bale should be up for Best Actor. He's at the top of his game and he's in every scene of this. Once it's over, you realize just what a complex character he had to play. I'm dying to see it again and examine how he pulled some of it off. Harry Melling (as Edgar Allen Poe) should be up for Best Supporting Actor. He does a LOT of good work. Adapted Screenplay. I haven't read the book so I don't know about this one, but I thought the story was riveting and surprising.”
Cooper has had a wonky track record as a filmmaker. Telluride seems to like him a lot, but they peculiarly didn’t program “The Pale Blue Eye” at this year’s festival. Cooper’s filmography includes “Crazy Heart,” “Out of the Furnace” and “Black Mass.”
“The Pale Blue Eye” stars Bale as a veteran detective who investigates a set of murders, helped by a detail-oriented young cadet who will later become a world famous author, Edgar Allan Poe.
The film hits Netflix on January 6, 2023 and as mentioned also gets a limited theatrical release on December 23.
Netflix and Skydance Animation have also called it quits. The two sides announced Monday that they're ending the animated film deal struck back in 2023, framing it as a mutual decision.