Verdict:
I…I don’t get it.
A group heads to a village to conduct an inquisition because that village is rumoured to be unaffected by the plague. The motivation of the main group of “protagonists” seems to be: “we are going to kill everybody because they have it better than others so they must be up to no good”. This is very vague and makes them very antagonistic.
There is a number of times when it is not clear why a certain character says or does something, unless the purpose is to explain the plot to the viewer, which is some lame movie making. At other times, it is hard to tell why certain scenes play out a certain way at all. Why is so much emphasis put on whether a character renounces his faith? Is it about a power struggle? Can someone please tell me what this movie is about, because after watching it, I still don’t know?
Wait, the questions aren’t over. The protagonists are so unlikable and the villagers end up being violent cultists. Are we supposed to root for anyone? Is black magic actually involved or does the movie leave that question open? After the credits roll, you are left with a general sense of confusion.
The creators of the film have put effort to make this movie appear different from the conveyor-belt products that Hollywood normally sh*ts out. The mood is grim and desaturated, with a lot of accent laid on individual performances. The action and gore are rather limited, especially given the fact that this movie keeps getting classified as a horror movie. Watching it is like reading a story written by someone in the 13th century. It is a nice change of pace.
The main star is Sean Bean, who delivers a very pained performance. Most of the time his character behaves like a psychopath.
At the end of the day, however, the film is not particularly remarkable. Surprisingly little was done with the premise and credit should be given to the actors considering how much emotion they placed in such shallow waters. What you end up with is a very miserable film where almost everybody is despicable and the plot leaves more questions than answers.