Black Death

R

Released Mar 11, 2011

1 hr. 42 min.

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

List

72%

68 Reviews

Tomatometer

49%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

During the time of the bubonic plague in 14th-century England, young monk Osmund (Eddie Redmayne) is recruited by the knight Ulric (Sean Bean) to lead a group of soldiers through the marshes into a mysterious village, where rumors are spreading that a necromancer is raising plague victims from the dead. Osmund agrees, but he has an ulterior motive--to find Averill (Kimberley Nixon), a young woman who has gone missing. Along the way, the group encounters unimagined darkness.

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Critics Consensus

Black Death delivers the fire and brimstone violence its subject matter warrants, while posing some interesting questions of faith and religion.

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Cinephemeride [

a medieval horror film with a rather interesting storyline, served by good European actors.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/16/24

Full Review

Richard L

For what it is, it takes quite some time to get going, and even after things go south it's still not all that engaging. The concept of 'remote pagans in the woods' has been explored in other films with much more deeply moving results, whereas even as a period piece this film doesn't have much to look at. Atrocious 'handheld' cinematography does a severe disservice to the well chosen sets, and in the end the story doesn't amount to much at all.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/01/23

Full Review

Connor M

Terrific film, similar in themes and formula to The Wicker Man, very intelligent dialogue, and interesting arguments on religion.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/10/23

Full Review

jeff l

A well-acted, atmospheric movie. I would have loved it if the witchfinders had found real supernatural witches. For me, it was a disappointment in the direction it took. I don't want to spoil too much. It just didn't work for me.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Jose R

Very underrated movie with a good twist, it's bloody and dark so it's not for everyone.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/26/23

Full Review

Michele D

Wow loved it. But please could this actor survive one of his movies.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/29/22

Full Review

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Christopher Smith

Director

Sean Bean

Ulric

Eddie Redmayne

Osmund

Carice van Houten

Langiva

Kimberley Nixon

Averill

John Lynch

Wolfstan

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33%

46%

Wilderness

30%

23%

Intruders

74%

45%

Piranha

21%

51%

Dead Silence

71%

57%

The Crazies

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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

By not rushing things, by keeping things moving at their own measured pace, Smith gives Poloni's screenplay a chance to breathe and evolve in a way it might not have been able to otherwise.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 25, 2011

Full Review

Ian Buckwalter

NPR

"Going medieval" on your enemies isn't just a figure of speech in Christopher Smith's stylish spatter-horror exercise, which uses desperation-fueled religious fervor to interrogate the intersection of fear and faith.

Rated: 7/10

Mar 12, 2011

Full Review

Peter Rainer

Christian Science Monitor

There's something here for just about everyone, or at least for everyone who looks back fondly on the similarly themed Wicker Man from 1973.

Rated: B

Mar 11, 2011

Full Review

Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

It brings some fresh ideas and blends together unconventional concepts, yet its pacing fails to get you to engage with the material or leave much of a lasting impressing.

Rated: 3/5

Sep 20, 2023

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

For those willing to stomach harsh realism from a gloomy period in history and confronting notions on religion, Smith has delivered a rewarding film surprisingly bereft of the typical downfalls usually present when mixing horror and history.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 31, 2023

Full Review

David Harris

Spectrum Culture

Black Death's Europe is one of dirt, blood, violence and mist.

Rated: 3/5

Nov 6, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

During the time of the bubonic plague in 14th-century England, young monk Osmund (Eddie Redmayne) is recruited by the knight Ulric (Sean Bean) to lead a group of soldiers through the marshes into a mysterious village, where rumors are spreading that a necromancer is raising plague victims from the dead. Osmund agrees, but he has an ulterior motive--to find Averill (Kimberley Nixon), a young woman who has gone missing. Along the way, the group encounters unimagined darkness.

Director: Christopher Smith
Executive Producer: Judy Tossell, Chris Curling, Mark Woolley, Tim Haslam
Screenwriter: Dario Poloni
Distributor: Magnet Releasing
Production Co: Ecosse Films
Rating: R (Strong Brutal Violence|Some Language)
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 11, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 14, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $22.0K

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