The movie begins in 19th century Maryland, where a group of Baltimore police rushes towards the desperate screams of a woman from an apartment. Upon entering, they find a woman, Jasmina Ilic, lifeless on the floor with her throat cut, while her daughter’s corpse (Teodora Uveric) is gruesomely hidden in the chimney. Detective Emmett Fields (Luke Evans) is summoned to aid in the case and soon realizes the murder bears a striking resemblance to a tale from Edgar Allan Poe (John Cusack). It seems that the writer’s dark and twisted fiction is reflecting a horrific reality.
Poe, now down on his luck and viewed as a social outcast, struggles with his writings that have failed to reach the public. He has a profound affection for the enchanting Emily Hamilton (Alice Eve](/actor/alice-eve)), but her father, Captain Charles Hamilton (Brendan Gleeson), openly despises Poe and threatens him violently if he pursues her. During a police inquiry, Poe is horrified to learn that his stories are being turned into a series of actual murders. Detective Fields proposes that Poe assist in the investigation, and he reluctantly agrees, hoping to identify the killer and save themselves from the escalating atrocities.
The investigation leads them to the murder of Rufus Griswold (John Warnaby), a literary critic who has been embroiled in conflict with Poe. Elements of this crime echo Poe’s tale "The Pit and the Pendulum," intensifying the notion that the killer bases actions on Poe’s narratives. Determined, they anticipate the next crime will occur at Captain Hamilton's upcoming masquerade ball, reminiscent of "The Masque of the Red Death."
While undercover, excitement turns to dread when a skeleton-clad horseman shocks the attendees, only for Fields to misfire, discovering the performer was simply part of the entertainment. Soon after, it becomes clear that this was all a facade, as Emily has been abducted, and clues to her whereabouts are left in the killer’s messages. The detective and Poe realize that if they are to rescue her, Poe must comply with the relentless demands of the murderous figure.
As they delve deeper into the case, a gruesome discovery at the local Medical School reveals a raven and the body of an actress (Ana Sofrenovic) dressed as Lady Macbeth. This discovery sharpens their understanding that the killer’s methods reflect the plots of Poe's stories. Ambushing the theater where the actress performed, they discover all crew members accounted for except for Maurice Rabichaux (Dejan Cubrilov), a sailor who had recently come into town. Their search of the underground tunnels hints at Emily’s potential location, but a gruesome twist reveals that the sailer was murdered, disguised as her.
Two perplexing clues are left with Maurice: a pocket watch frozen at 12:27 and a tattoo displaying coded information. The relentless pursuit leads them to a church where Emily is thought to be held captive but arrives too late; she is nowhere to be found, having been buried under the watchful eyes of her captor. In a desperate final attempt, Poe publishes a column offering his life in exchange for hers, leading to further chaos in Baltimore as public frenzy mounts against him.
With the criminal’s identity obscure, Fields undergoes surgery, where he learns the ink from the killer's notes contains a property that mates its source to the local paper. Eventually, Poe's inquiries lead him back to the newspaper, uncovering a chilling scene: the editor has been killed and posed grotesquely. It becomes all too apparent that the killer is one who longed for Poe’s writings, ultimately manifesting tragedy from literature into a deadly reality.
In a heart-stopping finale, Poe confronts his would-be killer, Ivan (Sam Hazeldine), who has used Poe's work as morbid inspiration. As the two engage in a tense standoff, and with dire consequences unfolding, Poe bravely confronts the twisted fanatics that blur the lines between reality and fiction. As Poe slips into the grips of poison and darkness, his legacy is sealed, leaving him to question if he will ever find solace or love beyond the grave. The haunting end leaves Fields pursuing an escapee across distant shores, hinting that the veils of truth may still linger amidst the specters of characters past.
