The horror, the macabre, the grotesque and the romantic. These are all the hallmarks of the works and the mind of gothic poet Edgar Allan Poe. In director James McTeigue’s new thriller “The Raven,” a handful of Poe’s works find their way into nineteenth century Baltimore. For fans of Poe’s stories and poems, “The Raven” provides an interesting and graphic perspective in order to put his works on screen.

John Cusack stars as “Edgar Allan Poe” and plays the poet with a twinge of the popular perception that has developed of the author; neurotic, alcoholic and an imaginative mind. The film opens with a brief but eerie message, which notes that Poe died in the streets of Baltimore in 1849 without any hint as to the cause of his death. The film is intended to chronicle Poe’s last days, albeit in a historical fiction sense. Alice Eve, known for her role in “She’s Out of My League,” plays Poe’s love interest, Emily Hamilton, to whom Poe becomes engaged at the beginning of the film.

After the message of the circumstances regarding Poe’s death, a loud shriek is heard from a Baltimore apartment complex. The police soon arrive at the apartment and discover a woman and her daughter who have been murdered, and a window that was nailed shut. However, upon further investigation, inspector Emmett Fields, played by Welsh actor Luke Evans, finds that the nails are a way to escape through the window. Any Poe fans will notice that the crime scene is similar to the story “Murders in the Rue Morgue.” The magnetic hair, the near-decapitation of the mother and the stuffing of the daughter in the chimney – a crime scene that is gruesome and graphic to say the least, all bear resemblance to the story.

The adaption of the stories becomes the theme of the movie, and Poe has to work with Inspector Fields to catch a serial killer who takes inspiration from Poe’s story. Though Poe is first suspected of the murders because they are recreations of his stories, he quickly is ruled out as a suspect, then begins to assist the police. A number of great Poe stories show up, such as “The Masque of the Red Death,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” and “The Pit and the Pendulum,” among other works. However, the overall narrative of “The Raven” has a number of plot points that resemble “The Tell-Tale Heart,” one of Poe’s most thrilling and creepiest stories.

The production and the direction of the film do a solid job to present itas if it were one of Poe’s stories. Many of the film’s scenes are set in the dark or at night – apparently the sun doesn’t come out all that often in nineteenth century Baltimore. The lighting production ensures that “The Raven” has a dark and gloomy feel to it, even outside the grisly murder scenes.

The crime scenes are graphic and gruesome, and the dead bodies have an arresting realism to them. The setting and costumes are strengths of immersion as well; the director did a good job to make it feel as if the audience really is walking the streets of Baltimore in the 1800s while a killer is on the loose.

While entertaining, the film has a number of drawbacks, including the lack of depth in the character development department. “Raven’s” characters are intensively focused on finding Emily, and there is no time to develop conflicts within them that propel their drives to help them catch the killer. The only character who gets some measure of development is Poe, but even he is limited to his financial and drinking problems. Poe’s fiancée Emily is primarily used as a plot device and not much else. And although Cusack’s character has a few light-humored scenes, many of the other characters provide little comic relief.

If you are a fan of Poe’s thrilling and gothic stories, filled with horror and murder conspiracies, then you’ll find “The Raven” entertaining. If you’re looking for a film with a testament to the nature of the human condition, you might be disappointed. In other words, people who go to see this movie should keep an open mind. John Cusack’s portrayal of Poe as an eloquent and witty author is entertaining, and to those seeking to see elements of his works come alive on the big screen, then “The Raven” is recommended.

Adam Colorado can be reached at [email protected].