Priest (2011) is a dystopian action-horror film directed by Scott Stewart and based on the Korean comic series of the same name by Min-Woo Hyung. The movie is set in an alternate world where humanity has been at war with vampires for centuries. This war has devastated the planet, leading to the establishment of a theocratic society governed by the Church.
The story follows a warrior priest, simply known as Priest (played by Paul Bettany), who once served as an elite fighter in the war against vampires. After the war, the remaining priests were disbanded and marginalized, as the Church declared the vampire threat to be eliminated. However, when Priest’s niece Lucy (Lily Collins) is kidnapped by vampires, he defies the Church’s orders and sets out on a mission to rescue her.
Priest is joined by a small group of allies, including Hicks (Cam Gigandet), a sheriff from a frontier town, and Priestess (Maggie Q), another former warrior from the vampire wars. Together, they journey across the desolate landscape, uncovering a new vampire threat led by Black Hat (Karl Urban), a former priest who has become the first human-vampire hybrid.
As the group confronts this new danger, they must battle both vampires and the oppressive regime of the Church, which refuses to acknowledge the continuing threat. The film explores themes of loyalty, faith, and the struggle for freedom against an authoritarian system.
Priest is characterized by its dark and gritty visual style, blending elements of Westerns, post-apocalyptic fiction, and vampire lore. The film features intense action sequences, with its protagonists utilizing a combination of martial arts, futuristic weapons, and supernatural abilities to combat their enemies.
