The Reckoning
In the aftermath of the Great Plague and amidst the subsequent witch-hunts against women, a young widow grapples with the tragic death of her husband in a society completely consumed by fear and death. Because she rejects the advances of her landlord, she is falsely accused of being a witch and thrown in jail for a crime she didn’t commit. She must endure physical persecution at the hands of England’s most ruthless witch-hunter and face her own inner demons as the devil himself starts to work his way into her mind.
Why it matters
A grim plunge into 17th-century witch hunts where paranoia and plague fuel a woman’s harrowing fight for survival against both human cruelty and supernatural dread.
- Neil Marshall’s direction brings atmospheric grit and period detail that ground the folk horror in visceral reality.
- Charlotte Kirk anchors the film with a stoic, compelling performance amid relentless persecution and psychological torment.
- Practical effects and grimy production design evoke the era’s brutal despair, even if the demon hallucinations sometimes veer into camp.
- Best for fans of historical witch-hunt tales who appreciate mood and texture over polished scares or subtlety.
Director
7 horror films in catalog
Cast
Horror DNA
Gore
28
Slow Burn
33
Psychological
100
Supernatural
80
Creature
0
Disturbing
33
Fun Factor
33
Cerebral
99
Survival
50
