A medieval knight undertakes a mission pitting him against a devious witch and making him the last hope for the world against an ancient and dark force. His faith broken by years of battle as a crusader, Behmen returns to central Europe to find his homeland decimated by the Black Plague. While searching for food and supplies at the Palace at Marburg, Behmen and his trusted companion, Felson are apprehended and ordered by the dying Cardinal to deliver a young peasant girl - believed to be the witch responsible for the Plague - to a remote abbey where her powers can be destroyed. Behmen agrees to the assignment but only if the peasant girl is granted a fair trial. As he and five others set off on this dangerous journey, they realize with mounting dread that the cunning girl is no ordinary human, and that their mission will pit them against an evil that even in these dark times they never could have imagined.
Genres: Drama and Suspense/Horror Release Date: January 7th, 2011 (wide) MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic elements, violence and disturbing content. Distributor: Relativity Media
Cast And Credits
Starring:
Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman, Stephen Campbell Moore, Claire Foy, Ulrich Thomsen
Directed by:
Dominic Sena
Produced by:
Alan G. Glazer, Tom Karnowski, Ryan Kavanaugh
By this point most of us have stopped trying to figure out Nicolas Cage’s career logic. With a résumé that encompasses Oscar winner, action star and indie darling, this supremely talented actor continues to confound us with choices like “Season of the Witch,” a 14th-century road movie with 21st-century cuss words.
Tired of hacking infidels and pleasuring wenches, two deserters from the Crusades (Mr. Cage and Ron Perlman) agree to transport an accused witch (Claire Foy) to a remote abbey to stand trial.
Accompanied by an uptight monk, a ringleted altar boy and a swindler (Stephen Graham, recently seen having much more fun as Al Capone on HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire”), our heroes traverse a wolf-infested forest, plague-stricken villages and a plot with more holes than a macramé plant holder. Around them, characters converse in period-appropriate dialogue (“We’re gonna need more holy water”), while the cinematographer, Amir Mokri, conceals the magnificent Austrian Alps beneath a palette of sludge and fudge. The entire film seems to be happening on the other side of a dirty window — good news for the dreadful computer-generated effects, if not for our eyes.
At least it’s not in 3-D,” my viewing companion remarked, and for the sake of Mr. Cage — who’s as convincing a Crusader as he was a combustible biker in “Ghost Rider” — I had to agree. But having worked with his director, Dominic Sena, a decade ago in “Gone in 60 Seconds,” he can’t say he wasn’t warned.
By this point most of us have stopped trying to figure out Nicolas Cage’s career logic. With a résumé that encompasses Oscar winner, action star and indie darling, this supremely talented actor continues to confound us with choices like “Season of the Witch,” a 14th-century road movie with 21st-century cuss words. 
At least it’s not in 3-D,” my viewing companion remarked, and for the sake of Mr. Cage — who’s as convincing a Crusader as he was a combustible biker in “Ghost Rider” — I had to agree. But having worked with his director, Dominic Sena, a decade ago in “Gone in 60 Seconds,” he can’t say he wasn’t warned.
