A masterpiece. Dark, gritty af, great characters, great action, freaky, gripping, every scene is well done. Ignore the simple minds who have given low ratings, what insults their opinions are.

Black Death is a movie not to be missed. Production values are excellent, and the film hits on all cylinders, from a crisp screenplay by Dario Poloni to outstanding performances by all involved. I chose this film because it was in the horror category, but Poloni weaves a seamless tale of the hypocrisy and mysticism of religion, and its antithesis, all the while highlighting the superstition and ignorance that must have been rife at this point in history. In this way, it's less of a "horror" movie than it is an allegory on religion and the frailties and imperfections of the human beings who invented it.Sean Bean drives tremendous performances all around, with a particularly noteworthy performance by Eddie Redmayne as Osmund the monk. The costumes and photography are also stunning, with lurid depictions of death and corpses in typical cities/towns, contrasted by lush greenery portrayed during "the quest". Well worth your time...

From the humble beginning to the violent end, this movie was solid gold. Particularly the ending, there are only a few movies out there that leave you questioning your own believe and this movie surely does that.Obviously built on a tight budget but this movie sure can pack a lot of punch. And the acting performances are truly awesome! Sean Bean was amazing and the lead guy Eddie Redmayne was spot on. This movie highlights the cruelty of the Black Plague in Europe and all the sinister twists that it took on the mind of the people. I don't usually enjoy period movies but the story is what really kept me hooked on.The concept of the inquisition and witch hunt are present too. All in all, this movie was truly amazing.

I had been worried about the quality of recent British horror for quite a while. There are a few torchbearers for the unique British style even today but often they fall flat. Here Christopher smith, whose movies have not often charmed me, hits the mark. It is not the slow burn dark horror you might expect. But it is a bleak look at religious fundamentalism and the middle ages. Obviously I understand the intent of the writers since mostly it seems anti-religion. But even then they have created an effective antagonist who is able to encourage us to root against even though the protagonists themselves are not angels.That is the focus of the movie most of the time. There is no effort to humanize the brutal protagonists. The story shows them as they are - brutal killers who are motivated by the promise of heaven. People who are brainwashed by the church and who are not shy of doing anything to protect their faith. There is a comment about how the trip might change him. There are various interpretation of the ending. I do want to think the woman has been punished. Maybe many innocent women were killed as well but the Langiva was punished as well. Or maybe she died horribly for her sins. Not that she is more deserving of punishment than the Christians. But even then any bad deed will be punished. Maybe that's how I like to look at it, rather than think of the ending as her escaping the ill fortune that then befell the villagers. Overall I thought the movie was good although the story for the most part is predictable but the little twists redeem the movie asking a question about the nature of God and his followers. I do think it owes much to movies like the Wicker man and others. 8/10