Scott Cooper directs Christian Bale, Harry Melling and Gillian Anderson in this period mystery where a young Edgar Allen Poe and a grieving detective investigate grisly murders at a remote military academy.

Strong production values and a couple of fantastic on location shot compositions. Much like Sleepy Hollow and The Raven there’s something of an inert exercise in gothic style to this handsome potboiler. Both Melling and Bale are going for laboured, busy performances. When together their scenes can be incoherently daft. Nutty line readings akimbo! There is a tasty twist at the end of the mechanical whodunnit motions, well set up in the first volley of clues, but I was bored waiting for even that closing turn.

4

Perfect Double Bill: The Raven (2012)

I write regular features about live comedy for British Comedy Guide here https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/bobby_carroll/features/