Black Death

Play trailer

Black Death

R

2011

1h 42m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

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.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

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

Read Critics Reviews

Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

03/25/2011

3/4

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.

Go to Full Review

Ian Buckwalter

NPR

03/12/2011

7/10

"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.

Go to Full Review

Peter Rainer

Christian Science Monitor

03/11/2011

B

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.

Go to Full Review

Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

09/20/2023

3/5

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.

Go to Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

07/31/2023

3/4

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.

Go to Full Review

David Harris

Spectrum Culture

11/06/2019

3/5

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

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Richard W

4d

Great cast ,awesome settings ,good storyline, i just really loved it ,cant understand the 49% rating ,its at least a 4 star movie

See more

Farah R

@Farah Nov 27

Surprisingly, not as bad as I expected. Black Death managed to keep me invested in the plot and characters long enough to witness its gruesome ending.

See more

Jace T

@CineChamber Aug 22

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.

See more

acsdoug D

@acsdoug Jul 8

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.

See more

Jeff K

May 12

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

See more

Soeren T

Apr 19

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

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Christopher Smith

Director

Sean Bean

Ulric

Eddie Redmayne

Osmund

Carice van Houten

Langiva

Kimberley Nixon

Averill

John Lynch

Wolfstan

Black Death: Official Clip - We Seek Refuge

2:53

Black Death: Official Clip - His Journey's Finished

2:55

Black Death: Official Clip - I Will Renounce God

2:16

Black Death: Official Clip - You Have No Heart

2:30

Black Death: Official Clip - What is a Necromancer?

2:20

Black Death: Official Clip - I Am Death

2:59

Black Death: Official Clip - Bandit Attack

2:57

Black Death: Official Clip - Crucified

2:49

Black Death: Official Clip - Who Wants to Live?

2:30

Black Death: Official Clip - A Suspected Witch

2:14

View more videos

Wilderness

33%

46%

Wilderness

Watchlist

Intruders

29%

22%

Intruders

Watchlist

Piranha

76%

45%

Piranha

Watchlist

Dead Silence

21%

51%

Dead Silence

Watchlist

The Crazies

72%

57%

The Crazies

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Penny Dreadful, The Walking Dead, The Witch, and More Available on Netflix and Amazon Prime

Critics Consensus: Battle: Los Angeles Loses The Fight

View more photos

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

Most Popular at Home Now