Who was the murderer in the riveting new Netflix movie?
There has been a flood of people who are just left in shambles after watching The Pale Blue Eye on Netflix. It truly is a wild journey.
The Pale Blue Eye is based on a book by Louis Bayard. It's a gothic thriller that follows the detective Augustus Landor (played by Christian Bale in The Pale Blue Eye), as they investigate the gruesome murders of cadets. He also has a little help from non-other than Edgar Allan Poe - making this a perfect watch for Poe fans.
The chilling story leads you down various angles before you think that you've come to a definite conclusion. Then everything you believed is ripped out from under you - leaving you to want to watch the whole thing again. Have no fear, I'm here so you don't have to do that. I'm going to explain the ending to The Pale Blue Eye so there will be spoilers ahead.
The Pale Blue Eye Ending Explained
We start the film by being informed of the death of Cadet Fry. Upon first inspection, it appears that Fry has died by suicide however, it becomes clear that he was hit on the back of his head. Another gnarly detail is that his heart was cut out of his body.
Landor finds that Fry was holding a fragmented note. With the help of Poe, they decode the note no come to the conclusion that Fry was lured out of the academy somehow.
Later, a cow and sheep were found with their hearts removed. Landor suspects that all the killings, including Fry's, were ritualistic. He brings Poe to the ice house where he discovers wax on the floor and a circle with a triangle inside. This supports his ritual theory.
Landor calls Jean Pepe who is an expert in occult symbols (always good to have one of those on call?). Pepe tells Landor that it certainly appears to be a magic circle, specifically linked to the famous witch hunter Henri Le Clerc. He was famed for his ideas on "securing immortality".
Landor is given Fry's diary by his mother, which might give some more clues about who killed him. However, he is informed of the death of Cadet Ballinger soon after. He is killed and mutilated in the same way, but this time there's a castration, too.
After this death, tensions are heightened and suspicions, unfortunately, start to fall on Poe. Poe had disagreements with Ballinger in the past over his involvement with Lea Marquis.
Upon reading Fry's diary, it is revealed that Fry and Ballinger were close friends, and their other friend, Cadet Stoddard has now gone missing. It appears he has run away, perhaps he is scared?
Landor discovers that at the heart of it all (excuse the accidental pun), is the Marquis family which includes the academy's doctor. He finds a portrait of Henri Le Clerc in the doctor's office. The doctor admits that Le Clerc had visited his daughter Lea who is suffering from seizures and given just three months to live. It is revealed that after using Fry's heart in a ritual, her condition miraculously improved.
Poe being the hopeless romantic is now prepared to be Lea's next victim. Thankfully, Landor manages to save him just in time. During this heroic moment, a ritual candle falls and burns the house down. Lea and Artemus both die as a result.
After this tragedy, everybody is left to believe that it was just Lea and Artemus who were the murderers.
This is where you think the case is closed…but of course, it could never be that simple.
Who was the killer in The Pale Blue Eye
Poe visits Landor and tells him he knows about Landor's daughter, Mattie. The viewer was under the impression that she just ran away, but that is not the case. However, the truth is a lot darker. Mattie was raped by 3 men on her way home from the Academy Ball and never got over the experience and she died by suicide.
Turns out, Poe had discovered that it was Landor who had killed Fry. His body was simply used by Lea and Artemus for a ritual.
Landor knew Fry had assaulted his daughter because she ripped off his dog tag during the attack. Landor then killed the sheep and cow to frame people for the ritual excuse.
After being given Fry's diary, he finds out that Ballinger was the second man in his daughter's attack. He killed him and mutilated his body. He never managed to find Stoddard - the third man.
Landor admits that he always planned to turn himself into Poe. However, Poe decides to destroy the evidence and Landor seems at peace with his act of vengeance.
I believe he wanted to accuse other people for as long as possible so that he could get revenge on Mattie's rapists. It does seem to be a horrible shame that Lea and Artemus died, though.
What conclusion have you come to? The Pale Blue Eye certainly leaves you with so many questions.
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