The Reckoning

Stark, compelling and a visual treat, The Reckoning will suck you into it's medieval world of players, murder, peasants and princes. Nicholas (Bettany) is a priest on the lam -- he's been caught fornicating someone else's wife -- not a good thing in the 14th century. On the run in the dead of winter, he spies a troupe of actors murder one of their own. The troupe captures him and explains that it was a mercy killing -- he was dying and in tremendous pain. Nicholas joins the troupe of traveling actors led by the charismatic Martin (Willem Dafoe). The group arrives at a village, where the actors encounter a woman being sentenced to death for the murder of a teenage boy. Under Martin's leadership, the actors discard their usual Biblical play, and instead, decide to stage a play based on the real-life crime.

The play goes on, but the players don't have the facts straight. As the impromptu performance develops they discover that Martha may be innocent and killer still at large. Nicholas digs up the grave of the teen and discovers that the youth was raped and tortured. Not only that, this is the fifth such teenage boy to be murdered. Nicholas turns into an amateur sleuth, following a trail that leads to the powers that control the village.

This is one gripping and deceptively simple film. Crisp, clean and powerful, The Reckoning is not to be missed.

Scott Cranin