A 2022 American mystery thriller. Directed by Scott Cooper.It is adapted from the 2003 novel of the same name by Louis Bayard. It features Christian Bale, Harry Melling, Gillian Anderson with others.
The plot follows veteran detective Augustus Landor in 1830 West Point, New York as he investigates a series of murders at the United States Military Academy with the aid of Edgar Allan Poe, a young military cadet.
In real life, Edgar Allan Poe did spend some time at West Point, New York. But it was never talked about much.
Filming was done in November at Compass Inn in Laughlington, Pennsylvania.In December at Westminster college in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania.
As the mystery is solved, we get to see the detective getting a closure. But there is a twist in the end. The twist is borrowed from Agatha Christie’s ‘The Murder of Roger Ackroyd’ in which the narrator turns to be the murderer.
That was very shocking back in 1926, says Bayard ‘I think it’s still surprising today’. We bring certain assumptions to stories. We don’t think a detective is going tobe investigating his own crime. He’s our surrogate, so the fact that he knows all along he’s done it is a surprise.’
A little long for an English film, but engrossing.
Asian Entertainment 