By Niya Sinckler
The Raven is a dark action-thriller that follows a psychopath who committs murders inspired by one of Edgar Allan Poe’s most celebrated poems.
Directed by James McTeigue, the plot follows a young detective who is trying to prevent fiction from becoming reality on the streets of an 1840s Baltimore.
Turning to drink
John Cusack stars as Edgar Allan Poe, a witty poet yearning to be published at the local city newspaper. Often left disappointed, Poe turns to drink.
When a serial killer goes on a murder spree, all the clues lead to the dejected poet. Poe’s imagination creates a game between him and the killer.
Protect and serve
The mystery begins to unravel when the lead inspector Emmett Fields (Luke Evans), recognizes the crimes correspond with the plot to Poe’s fiction.
In an attempt to clear his name and save love interest Emily Hamilton (Alice Eve), Poe and the police join forces to stop the murders.
There is plenty of gore and grizzle if that’s your thing, but it does little to drive a plot riddled with holes. Suspense is often created but usually leads to nothing, and lack of concrete suspect is frustrating.
The film does succeed in blending Poe’s literature with the stylish cop-villain genre however. A clever ‘whodunnit’, mixed with gothic elements will leave you wondering what you would do for love.