Synopsis
In 14th Century England, this tale of murder and mystery follows a fugitive priest who falls in with a troupe of actors. As they arrive in a small town, the actors encounter a woman being sentenced to death for practicing witchcraft and murder. Discarding the expected bible stories, the actors now stage a performance based on the crime. Through the performance of the play, they discover a mystery.
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Cast
- Paul BettanyNicholas
- Willem DafoeMartin
- Tom HardyStraw
- Brian CoxTobias
- Simon McBurneyStephen
- Luke de WoolfsonDaniel
- Gina McKeeSarah
- Vincent CasselLord De Guise
- Ewen BremnerSimon Damian
- Mark BentonSheriff
Recommendations
- 75
Entertainment Weekly
The Reckoning, with a script by Mark Mills, demands close attention; it's a play of words and ideas crowding for consideration. - 60
Variety
Has its flaws, among them a certain self-righteousness and a complicated storyline, but it is never less than gripping thanks to its gifted international cast. - 60
Los Angeles Times
The Reckoning isn't great by any means and there are moments during the final stretch when it isn't even good. But for its first hour or so, the story moves at a steady clip, generating enough mystery to keep you guessing and enough atmosphere to keep you interested. - 50
L.A. Weekly
The Reckoning proceeds with such leaden literal-mindedness that it never seems more than a stodgy (and, at times, blatantly silly) paperback affair. - 50
New York Daily News
Has so many ideas working in it that they all but suffocate its thin plot. - 50
Christian Science Monitor
The story never gathers much dramatic momentum despite an impressive cast and a lot of dank Middle Ages atmosphere. - 40
The A.V. Club
Maddeningly dull. It works on the cerebrum while the rest of the body drifts off to sleep, and the dullness only intensifies as the film goes on. - 40
Village Voice
Emphatically acted, ponderous, and ultimately a little silly.
