Season of the Witch

Set in the 14th century, this supernatural thriller (which can't decide whether it's good-versus-evil horror or campy nonsense) focuses on two feisty Crusaders—Behmen (Nicolas Cage) and Felson (Ron Perlman)—whose brutal Holy Land battles are routinely accompanied by the wager, “Whoever slays the most men buys drinks!” Eventually, the war-weary fighters become disillusioned with slaughtering innocent women and children and they desert, wandering the European countryside, where they discover that the Black Plague has decimated the population. Are ancient, malevolent forces to blame? Perhaps, especially when a disfigured, dying cardinal (Christopher Lee) charges the pair with transporting a battered young woman (Claire Foy) suspected of being a witch to a distant abbey to stand trial. Accompanied by Hagamar (Stephen Graham), a swindler who knows the countryside; Eckhart (Ulrich Thomsen), an elderly bereaved knight; Father Debelzaq (Stephen Campbell Moore), the girl's superstitious accuser; and Kay (Robert Sheehan), an eager acolyte, their perilous journey is somewhat suspenseful and sports obvious digital effects (such as wolves). But with plenty of anachronistic buddy bantering, director Dominic Sena's Season of the Witch is ultimately a medieval muddled mess. Not recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include deleted scenes (10 min.), an alternate ending (9 min.), a “Becoming the Demon” featurette on special effects (8 min.), an “On a Crusade” behind-the-scenes featurette (6 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing film.] (S. Granger)