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The year is 1348. Europe has fallen under the shadow of the Black Death. As the plague decimates all in its path, fear and superstition are rife. In this apocalyptic environment, the church is losing its grip on the people. There are rumors of a village, hidden in marshland that the plague cannot reach. There is even talk of a necromancer who leads the village and is able to bring the dead back to life. Ulric (Sean Bean), a fearsome knight, is charged by the church to investigate these rumors. He enlists the guidance of a novice monk, Osmund (Eddie Redmayne) to lead him and his band of mercenary soldiers to the marshland, but Osmund has other motives for leaving his monastery. Their journey to the village and events that unfold take them into the heart of darkness and to horrors that will put Osmund’s faith in himself and his love for God to the ultimate test.
 
Director - Christopher Smith
Screenplay - Dario Poloni
Producers - Robert Bernstein & Douglas Rae
(Ecosse Films)
Jens Meurer (Egoli Tossell Film)
Phil Robertson (Zephyr Films)
Director of Photography - Sebastian Edschmid
Production Designer - John Frankish
Editor - Stuart Gazzard
Costume Designer - Petra Wellenstein
Make-up Designer - Jekaterina Oertel
Casting Director - Karen Lindsay-Stewart
Ulric - Sean Bean
Osmund - Eddie Redmayne
Langiva - Carice van Houten
Averill - Kimberley Nixon
Wolfstan - John Lynch
Hob Tim - McInnerny
Dalywag - Andy Nyman
Mold - Johnny Harris
Swire - Emun Elliott
Ivo - Tygo Gernandt
Griff - Jamie Ballard
Abbot - David Warner
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“INTELLIGENT, CHALLENGING AND DARKLY SATISFYING. Black Death is a scary occult thriller and one of the most original horror stories I've heard in years,” Scott Weinberg, FearNet
“In a year in horror that has kicked off on a weak note, Black Death is the film to seek out. Atmospheric and powerful.” Ryan Turek, Shock Till You Drop
“A VERY COOL FILM!” Harry Knowles, AICN
“A savvy, stylish horror-actioner that's more than the sum of its genre parts,” – Leslie Felperin, Variety
3.5 out of 4 stars “A STRIKING, MATURE AND DEEPLY SCARY PIECE OF WORK. With BLACK DEATH, it’s high time that director Christopher Smith be acknowledged as one of the major modern forces in horror.” – Fangoria
“A DAMN FINE FILM. A gripping, dark and chilling piece of gothic horror,” – Chris Bumbray, JoBlo
“Black Death is what Season of the Witch would have been, had it been a good movie,” Dustin Hall, Brutal As Hell
FOUR STARS
“Very watchable indeed. In a genre I can only describe as Dark Ages Pulp, some very effective entertainment with nods to Witchfinder General and The Wicker Man.” – Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
FOUR STARS
“Christopher Smith is Britain’s most talented, least appreciated genre filmmaker. Action-packed and thought-provoking—this is bracing, often brutal stuff. Horror fans will note a structural similarity to The Wicker Man, but the real creative touchstone here is Aguirre, Wrath of God.” – Nigel Floyd, Time Out London
FOUR STARS
“Smith springs a savage battle of creeds on us with flinty assurance, engaging smartly with the tradition of cultish classics in this field. This grisly fable sends you out spooked and impressed.” – Tim Robey, The Telegraph
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