A movie review by Michael Conway

The movie “The Raven” starring John Cusack is definitely worth going to see.

This gruesome film involves a serial killer running amuck in  Baltimore, Maryland in the 1800’s. This killer bases his murders from poems written by the infamous Edgar Allan Poe.

After a few murders, the police force asks Poe to assist them on their search for the killer. Since his writings are the inspiration for the killings, he has a unique perspective on the case.

Step by step he helps them with their search until his beloved, Emily, is kidnapped by the killer, provoking him even more.

Director James McTeigue leaves in every gory detail throughout the movie, as movie goers witness scenes from some of Poe’s most famous works, like “The Pit and the Pendulum”, and “The Tell Tale Heart.” This thriller is filled with anticipation and carefully crafted cinematography.

While the movie uses careful camera angles to let the viewer use their imagination, there are a few parts which certainly classify this as an “R” rated piece, as there are a few scenes that spare no expense when it comes to portraying violence.

While I tried to solve the case myself, I could tell the director was trying to make the crowd believe it was a certain person by the way the camera shifted to them awkwardly during the film. But even I could not figure out the case early as my mind shifter from character to character throughout the film.

This movie runs 111 minutes, but is definitely worth the watch. It is jam packed with adventure and mystery, and a twist at the end that is nothing anyone could have ever foreseen.

The excellence of the movie overall out rules the few places where I think should have had better dialogue.

Also accompanying John Cusack, was Alice Eve playing his love interest Emily, and Luke Evans who played Detective Emmett Fields.