The Raven (2012)

First off, this movie is rated R for some gore... but not as much as you'd expect from a dark murder-mystery thriller. There is not much by way of gruesome scenes. Only one stood out in particular but take a long blink and you'll miss it. You'll know when it's coming (SPOILER!!!: It involves a Pendulum). Other than that, you just see some corpses that have been hurt and may or may not be covered in blood. There is also some minor language, including one F-word. Overall, a few blinks and the movie is easily PG-13. If you're hesitant, go see it and trust me. Ok, so here's what is awesome about it. It opens up saying how 3 days before he died, Edgar Allan Poe was found nearly dead on a park bench. No one knew why. The movie then delves in to a fictional story about his last three days. A murderer starts killing people based on some of the more grotesque Poe stories. The main investigator recognizes a murder as a Poe story and recruits Poe to help. Things take a more dramatic turn when the killer beings leaving clues and in fact calls out that he wants Poe to solve things. There are some pretty beautiful one-liners. I left the theater wishing I had a note pad with me because my arm was covered in pen. A few of the more memorable lines follow, but I will forgo context to avoid ruining things. "Is imagination now a felony?" "God gave him a spark of genius, then drowned it in misery." "I feel like I've gone from Author to Character in one of my tales." And this one was very well delivered: "You know I find you as revolting as some of your works." to which the reply comes, "Some, not all." John Cusack captures Poe's attitude quite well. He fluctuates from manic-depressive drunk author to excited artistic man to many things in between. Poe's lines are delivered very well. The characters are engaging and real. The twists and turns keep you right in it. It is NOT a horror flick. It's a character drama mixed with a suspenseful mystery. Also, Alice Eve (She's Out of My League) plays the main female interest. She does a good job at attracting Poe. Brendan Gleeson (Harry Potter) plays Alice Eve's father and a minor antagonist to Poe before the murders start. My vote: Must see for anyone who appreciates Poe, good writing, or cool twists. Worth a full price admission.