Black Death (2010)
Uhhhhhhhhh
Note to self: When you're already in the midst of a flu/depression spiral,
DO NOT go out of your way to watch
incredibly grim movies.
I'm having a hard time giving an objective review of this film because I was already feeling rotten and now, coming out of it, my spirits aren't exactly uplifted.
But I'll try anyway.
Well, it really shouldn't come as a surprise that this movie was directed superbly. Christopher Smith was the creator of other genre pieces such as
Creep and
Triangle, both of which stirred up the horror community and made a name for himself (I'm not sure if it's worth mentioning, but he also directed
Severance, which I personally enjoyed, but people seemed torn about). This is really a jaw-dropping period piece - It's rough, gritty, and feels realistic (not your average swords-and-shields type fare). It's dirty, it's dark, and you really feel as though you are part of a believable tale of the 1300s with everything from the sets to the costumes to the make-up.
In terms of plot,
Black Death is a journey into the medieval Heart of Darkness. Fairly straight-forward, but by no means simple. When it comes down to it, message of
Black Death is that
religion is ultimately evil and that people will maim, kill, and cannibalize each other in order to gain religious power. Incredibly dark, extremely grim, and ultimately left me feeling unhappy.
But that's to be expected.
It's a well-executed movie. I think that A LOT of people on here will like it (so to you I highly recommend it). It's just not something personally that I need to see again.
3.5/5.