'The Raven' trailer

I've always had a hard time watching John Cusack's romantic films, because I have a brother who, in his early 20s, used to look eerily similar to the Say Anything star. (I also have a father who boasts a doppelgänger in David Strathairn, and a celebrity look-a-like generator once found I was a 75 percent match for Alfred Molina. Wait, what?!) But a John Cusack period thriller? Now, that I could get excited for.

Especially when The Raven looks so promising, at least judging by its new trailer. In the film, Cusack plays legendary goth author Edgar Allan Poe, who's brought in to help authorities after a killer begins mimicking crimes from his frightening tales. It's not long before suspicion surrounds Poe himself: After all, as Luke Evans' Detective Emmett Fields tells Poe, "Your imagination is an inspiration of a horrendous crime."

Maybe it's sacrilege to claim, but, to me, The Raven looks a little like Se7en… with lanterns. Also, elephant in the room: Cusack's goatee. Discuss.

Follow Kate on Twitter @KateWardEW

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John Cusack on 'The Raven' and Edgar Allen Poe': 'He definitely was the godfather of goth'