When a madman begins committing horrific murders inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's works, a young Baltimore detective joins forces with Poe to stop him from making his stories a reality.When a madman begins committing horrific murders inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's works, a young Baltimore detective joins forces with Poe to stop him from making his stories a reality.When a madman begins committing horrific murders inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's works, a young Baltimore detective joins forces with Poe to stop him from making his stories a reality.
- Awards
- 5 nominations total
Kevin McNally
- Maddux
- (as Kevin R. McNally)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe film posits a fictional representation of the last days in the life of Edgar Allan Poe. In reality, no one actually knows how Poe spent his last days, his death being shrouded in mystery. He was found, delirious, on the streets of Baltimore on October 3, 1849, wearing clothes that were not his own. On the night before his death, he was reported to have repeatedly called out the name "Reynolds." He died on October 7, 1849, as depicted in the film. All medical records, including his death certificate, have been lost.
- GoofsIvan, the typesetter, tells Poe that he is the writer's biggest fan. The word "fan" (short for "fanatic") would not be used in this sense until the late 1880s.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Projector: The Raven (2012)
Featured review
A killer is on the loose, a young detective joins forces with Edgar Allan Poe to stop his writings becoming reality. The stakes become high when Poe's partner is kidnapped and her life hangs in the balance.
Set in Baltimore, an underrated thriller mystery that needn't be compared to other period pieces including the likes of Sherlock Holmes (2009). This has its own legs and is more of a murder thriller than adventure. James McTeigue captures the ominous 1849 setting with dark and foggy cobbled streets reminiscent in tone of a Hammer films and Jack the Ripper tale - In Hell (2001). The setting and locations create a eerie backdrop, complimentary of Danny Ruhlmann's cinematography. There's no doubt, Ben Livingston and Hannah Shakespeare's screenplay unfolds like a period piece CBS CSI special but it's a well filmed, entertaining and intriguing, strengthened by McTeigue's direction and Lucas Vidal's score.
Brendan Gleeson's acting abilities are very much underused as Captain Hamilton has he has very little screen time. Luke Evans' Detective Fields commands an on screen presence equal to that of the late Heath ledger. John Cusack gives his usual solid show, albeit he is more animated than usual as Edgar Allan Poe. Alice Eve is excellent, giving a convincing harrowing performance as the kidnapped and trapped Emily Hamilton.
Anyone familiar with the genre may see the killers identity well in advance. Nevertheless, The Raven is a creepy, solid old-school thriller with a fitting portrayal by Cusack.
Set in Baltimore, an underrated thriller mystery that needn't be compared to other period pieces including the likes of Sherlock Holmes (2009). This has its own legs and is more of a murder thriller than adventure. James McTeigue captures the ominous 1849 setting with dark and foggy cobbled streets reminiscent in tone of a Hammer films and Jack the Ripper tale - In Hell (2001). The setting and locations create a eerie backdrop, complimentary of Danny Ruhlmann's cinematography. There's no doubt, Ben Livingston and Hannah Shakespeare's screenplay unfolds like a period piece CBS CSI special but it's a well filmed, entertaining and intriguing, strengthened by McTeigue's direction and Lucas Vidal's score.
Brendan Gleeson's acting abilities are very much underused as Captain Hamilton has he has very little screen time. Luke Evans' Detective Fields commands an on screen presence equal to that of the late Heath ledger. John Cusack gives his usual solid show, albeit he is more animated than usual as Edgar Allan Poe. Alice Eve is excellent, giving a convincing harrowing performance as the kidnapped and trapped Emily Hamilton.
Anyone familiar with the genre may see the killers identity well in advance. Nevertheless, The Raven is a creepy, solid old-school thriller with a fitting portrayal by Cusack.
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $26,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $16,008,272
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $7,289,642
- Apr 29, 2012
- Gross worldwide
- $29,699,345
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