Priest (2011)
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In an alternate universe where humanity and vampires have warred for centuries, a veteran Warrior Priest must go on a dangerous mission to rescue his kidnapped niece.
The story
Set in an alternate universe where humanity and vampires have warred for centuries, the world is governed by a theocracy known as 'The Church.' Following the last Vampire War, the remaining vampires were confined to reservations, while elite warriors known as Priests were left to live in obscurity. When a local sheriff informs a veteran Priest that his niece has been kidnapped by a vampire group, the Priest must leave the safety of the city. He joins forces with the sheriff and a rogue Priestess to navigate the dangerous territories outside the walls, seeking to rescue the girl before she is lost to the vampire threat.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In a world where humanity and vampires have fought for centuries, the 'Church' maintains order by confining vampires to reservations and training elite Priests to defend the realm. A veteran Priest is approached by a sheriff named Hicks, who reveals that his niece, Lucy, has been kidnapped by vampires. Despite the Church's refusal to help, the Priest, the sheriff, and a rogue Priestess travel to the Nightshade Reservation. They discover a massive Hive and learn that the vampires are breeding a new army. They eventually encounter a train carrying a horde of vampires led by 'Black Hat,' a human-vampire hybrid. During a frantic battle on the train, it is revealed that Lucy is actually the Priest's daughter. The Priestess sabotages the tracks, causing a derailment that destroys the vampires and Black Hat. The Priest returns to the city to confront the leadership, revealing the truth of the ongoing threat.
- First release year
- 2011
- Runtime (minutes)
- 87
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Scott Stewart
- Writers
- Cory Goodman · writer
- Cast and characters
- Paul Bettany · Priest; Karl Urban · Black Hat; Cam Gigandet · Hicks; Maggie Q · Priestess; Lily Collins · Lucy Pace; Stephen Moyer · Owen Pace; Christopher Plummer · Monsignor Orelas
- Genres
- action; horror
- Themes
- Faith; Survival; Sacrifice
- Tone and mood
- Action; Dark; Dystopian
- Premise and plot tags
- Vampire; Warrior; Post-apocalyptic; Sci-fi Western
- Source material / true-story basis
- Korean comic Priest by Hyung Min-woo, inspired by the game Blood by Monolith Productions.
- Reception
- The film was panned by critics, who praised its visual style and art direction but criticized its use of clichés, writing, and action scenes.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 16% · scale: percentage · review count: 96
- Production trivia
- The film was the most expensive production from Screen Gems at the time of its release.; The animated prologue was created by Genndy Tartakovsky.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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