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Doctor Plague
The promotional footage for Doctor Plague, the new mystery killer chiller from director Ben Fortune and Shogun Films, promises a sinister, high-stakes slasher that leverages the grim historical tapestry of London’s underworld. Fronted by UK screen favourite Martin Kemp as the cynical Detective John Verney, the film looks set to deliver a relentless, modern take on ancient evil, complete with a genuinely unsettling masked killer. The trailer wastes no time in establishing the dire situation, presenting a city gripped by fear as a mysterious figure stalks the streets under the ominous guise of a 17th-century Plague Doctor.
What immediately grabs the attention is the tone: a dark, rain-slicked urban setting provides the backdrop for a crime story that spirals rapidly into the supernatural. Verney’s investigation into the escalating body count reveals that this is no ordinary serial killer; the dialogue confirms the connections to the White Chapel murders and Jack the Ripper, immediately escalating the mythology. The trailer hints at a chilling history, explaining that the Plague Doctors of old were part of a secret faction tasked with killing those "deemed corrupt and criminal and who refused to repent." This ancient, deadly mandate has seemingly been revived, adding a layers of cultic deception and deadly rituals to the standard detective procedural.
Kemp, who made his name in The Krays and Eastenders, looks commanding as the beleaguered detective. Verney is presented as a man under intense pressure, facing scrutiny from his superior, played by David Yip, who dismisses the Plague Doctor killings as mere gang violence. Adding fuel to the fire, the trailer shows the media and social platforms fearmongering with explosive headlines and outlandish videos, encouraging public unrest and complicating Verney’s already impossible task.
The scope broadens as Verney falls deeper into the terrifying web, hinting at a connection to a subterranean London—the tunnels beneath the city housing an ancient evil. The stakes become deeply personal when his son is kidnapped, forcing Verney to break protocol and take the law into his own hands as his colleagues turn against him. The trailer effectively showcases a strong ensemble cast ready to be drawn into the chaos, including Peter Woodward, Jeanine Nerissa Sothcott, Wendy Glenn, Daisy Beaumont, Gary Webster, and Michael McKell.
From the sharp, gritty cinematography to the unnerving presence of the titular killer, the Doctor Plague trailer offers a compelling glimpse at a British horror-thriller hybrid that aims high. It successfully balances the familiar beats of a London-based police drama with the chilling theatrics of a full-blown slasher and conspiracy thriller.
Produced by Shogun Films and directed by Ben Fortune, this looks like a solid piece of UK genre filmmaking. For viewers looking for a dark, labyrinthine mystery that delves into the city's deepest secrets, Doctor Plague looks like the essential appointment. Get ready to repent or die; the doctor will see you now when the film makes its UK digital debut on 12 January, courtesy of Miracle Media.
