Black Death

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Black Death

R

2011

1h 42m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

72%

Tomatometer

68 Reviews

49%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

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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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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David Harris

Spectrum Culture

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

Rated: 3/5

Nov 6, 2019

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Jace T

Well I absolutely loved this movie and it deserves more praise than it gets. While there are fantastical elements, the world and story are set in a very grounded reality. I loved the mystery around the plague like disease, and the questioning religious Christian undertones. This is an excellent film that is worth a watch. I know I'll be watching it again.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/22/25

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acsdoug D

As a history buff I wanted to like this movie. They don't make many movies set in the 14th century and I would like to encourage more. Unfortunately, the story is just not that good.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

07/08/25

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Jeff K

I thought this was a fantastic, simple medieval story that captured the violence, superstition and zealotry of the time.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/12/25

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Soeren T

This is a prequel to The Danish Girl, and we follow the tragic experiences of the character played by Eddie Redmayne, leading to his desire to transition. Sean Bean and Carice Houten reprise their roles from GOT

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/19/25

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Audience Member

I thought the movie was great, and Sean's performance excellent. This movie definitely deserves a higher rating.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/11/25

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Todd B

Grim. Worth a watch.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/08/25

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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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
Producer: Jens Meurer, Robert Bernstein, Douglas Rae, Phil Robertson
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
Runtime: 1h 42m

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