LA MORT POURPRE (2025)
A spoiler-free review by Kraken Film Reviews
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Erwan Ott
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Erwan Ott, Salah Maalem
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France
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Kevin Sakac, Nicolas Lenerand, Melinda Martinho
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27 minutes
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Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Drama
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French
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Merging the grim austerity of medieval Europe with a looming supernatural menace, La Mort Pourpre (The Crimson Death) is a French short film directed by Erwan Ott.
Directed and co-written by Erwan Ott, this French production is a great example of independent filmmaking, delivering a complete, dynamic, and utterly captivating narrative that would feel perfectly at home as an episode in a prestige fantasy anthology series.
The premise is elegantly simple yet ripe with potential: Seth Gecko, a nomadic vampire hunter, arrives in a village plagued by a series of gruesome, violent murders, and is set out to solve the mystery behind some vampire-bite victims.
The story that unfolds is expertly paced, offering a perfectly structured arc that satisfies completely without overstaying its welcome. It’s the kind of lean, genre-forward content that is simply a pleasure to watch—ideal for any viewer seeking a high-quality, immersive escape.
Where La Mort Pourpre truly sinks its teeth in, is through its masterful mise-en-scène.
This is where its budget transforms into a staggering, blood-soaked spectacle. The film’s visuals turn into a high-impact spectacle.
The film’s visual prowess is a masterclass in mood, courtesy of producers Kevin Sakac, Nicolas Lenerand, and Melinda Martinho. Every frame is steeped in textural richness—from the oppressive grit of the costuming to the brutal, well-worn heft of the weaponry—forging a medieval reality that is both tangible and deeply unsettling, like an immersive alchemy.
The commitment to authenticity reaches some peaks in micro-details: for example, a close-up at the 7:08 mark on a knight's letter reveals not a simple prop, but exquisitely rendered, authentic-looking medieval calligraphy. It’s the kind of detail some studio films could overlook, but here, it’s what builds a world you can not only see but feel in your mind.
The film’s atmosphere is further heightened by its striking cinematography. The deliberate inclusion of animals—particularly the inspired use of stark white horses against desolate, snow-swept landscapes—creates iconic, haunting images that feel pulled from a lost folktale. These moments linger in the mind, elevating the project into a truly memorable experience.
The inspired vision of a majestic, snow-white steed standing as a beacon of purity against the desolate, snow-cloaked moors, conjures iconic, hopeful images pulled straight from the pages of a heroic legend.
The white horse is a timeless emblem of hope, a creature of prophecy seen in tales of kingly quests and blessed interventions. Its presence is a stubborn remnant of light and chivalry.
It is a companion to the light, a living symbol that the protagonist is not alone in his fight against the encroaching void. This haunting, beautiful vision etches itself upon the viewer's memory as a reminder of what is worth saving.
We have heard echoes of this same hopeful grammar in other great chronicles, for example the myth of Pegasus, that has always represented the soaring of inspiration, the birth of heroism, and a connection to the divine.
The vampire hunter emerges into the story not from shadows, but from a bleak, white expanse—a lone figure of purpose approaching alongside a majestic steed.
Yet, as the mystery deepens and the threat reveals itself, the film plunges into the claustrophobic embrace of night. The action unfolds not under the open, hopeful sky, but in the oppressive darkness of forests, cramped hovels, and moonlit courtyards.
This deliberate visual shift is crucial.
The fusion of medieval and fantasy is a beloved and potent subgenre.
This masterful fusion works because it leverages the strengths of both genres to create something greater than the sum of its parts. The gritty, mud-and-blood realism of the medieval setting acts as a crucial anchor, making the intrusion of the supernatural feel like a violation of the natural order.
Director Erwan Ott handles this balance with a steady hand, treating the supernatural with the same seriousness as the historical elements.
This approach avoids cliché and instead feels both familiar, tapping into ancient fears, and fresh, due to its unwavering commitment to tone.
It’s a classic recipe executed with modern precision, placing La Mort Pourpre in the esteemed company of works beloved by many television enthusiasts.
Yet, the film's most undeniable triumph lies in its raw, staged action.
Kevin Sakac Productions crafts a brutal, beautiful dance of combat.
The team's focus on intricate, physical confrontations is on full display. The fight choreography is a series of brutal, yet graceful exchanges: tightly coordinated, realistic, and utterly gripping.
There’s sheer effort behind these sequences that crafted peak physicality, precise timing, and flawless execution both from the cast and the fight coordinators, all made more difficult by the challenges of night shoots in an open space.
The narrative of La Mort Pourpre is a satisfying, self-contained story, while also teasing a universe possibly ripe for further exploration.
Seth Gecko, the relentless vampire hunter, emerges as a character etched in grit and determination, one whose future adventures feel possible. This could be more than a short film, it could be a promising first chapter in a saga composed by different episodes, following the character of Seth.
Highly recommended for anyone who craves stories where dark fantasy and palpable atmosphere collide, and doesn’t know what to watch online.
With a delightful time run of just under 30 minutes, this short works perfectly fine.
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