Black Death is a German-British adventure horror film starring Sean Bean and Eddie Redmayne, directed by Christopher Smith.

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, a fearsome knight, is charged by the church to investigate these rumors. He enlists the guidance of a novice monk, Osmund 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 God to the ultimate test.

Special Features

• The Making of Black Death
• Image Gallery

Awards

• Fangoria Chainsaw Awards 2012 – 2nd place Chainsaw Award for Best Actor Sean Bean, Nominated Chainsaw Award for Best Limited-Release Film, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor
• Neuchatel International Fantasy Film Festival 2010 – Won Audience Award, Nominated Best Feature Film
• Screamfest 2010 – Won Festival Trophy Best Actor Sean Bean, Best Musical Score

Reviews

“With old-fashioned style and old-school effects — you can feel the weight of the broadswords and the crunchy resistance of every hacked head — “Black Death” takes Dark Ages drama to the limits of moral ambivalence. Here, excessive piety and rampant paganism are equally malevolent forces, the film’s baleful view of human nature mirrored in Sebastian Edschmid’s swampy photography. As is emphasized in a nicely consistent coda, the Lord’s side and the right side are not necessarily one and the same.” 9/10 New York Times

“Black Death bears some similarities to a zombie movie in the way the plague inevitably overtakes the populace, and it also has one foot in the "creepy community” genre, alongside films like “The Wicker Man” and "Two Thousand Maniacs!"" AV Club

“While managing to deliver enough suspense and bloodletting to appease gore fans, steadily improving helmer Christopher Smith ("Severance”) and screenwriter Dario Poloni smuggle in a merciless critique of religious delusion." Variety

“Though deadly serious, Christopher Smith's European-made bubonic- plague melodrama provides good value with lots of blood and guts, as well as a solid cast.” New York Post

“Screenwriter Dario Poloni and director Christopher Smith provide enough sword-and-sorcery hoo-ha to please the "Lord of the Rings” demographic, but the movie's real coup is in how it repeatedly shifts our allegiance from Christians to pagans." Village Voice