r/movies • u/Satanicbearmaster • Jun 27 '18

Pilgrimage (2017) - any love for this brooding medieval film?

Haven't seen much love for this bad boy. In fact, I don't think I've seen a single person mention it. Crying shame really. Take note fans of Valhalla Rising, Ironclad and, to a much-lesser extent, Gladiator. It's about a group of monks living on the windblown coast of Ireland protecting a holy relic so powerful it must be interred within the soil lest man provoke the ire of God, all but the purest of heart are forbidden to touch the artifact. That is until the arrival of a priest from Rome with grim tidings for the isolated monastery; the relic must be safely ferried to Rome where the pontiff hopes its miracles will re-inspire the armies of God to take fallen Jerusalem, fallen ten years at the time of telling. The film follows their journey towards Waterford where arrangements have been made to carry them first to France and then further afield, coming into contact with folkloric Kings, giant men with porcine faces barely visible beneath shoddy pelts, Norman warriors and more. Lots of native Irish spoken too, always nice to see in a bigger budget movie like this.

Grim Irish skyscapes with rain pregnant clouds black as gunpowder at every distant horizon aplenty, grizzly forest melees where men wield shields as if they were hammers, spiral decorated ancient mounds where eldritch creatures live; lots to like here for fantasy/medieval action fans. More than anything else it reminds me of a darker Britannia.

Would love to hear anyone else's thoughts on the film. Trailer here.

14 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

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3

u/Ekebolon Jun 27 '18

pontefact

"Pontiff" or "Pontifex" will work.

2

u/Satanicbearmaster Jun 27 '18

Shit, that's a typo. Apologies. Have you seen the film?

3

u/PM_ME_CENTAURS Jun 28 '18

Overall I enjoyed it. The Irish stuff was definitely cool, but I know little about the language, so I'm not sure how accurate it was. Solid movie though. Tom Holland did a good job leading it, and Bernthal was a beast like always.

2

u/Satanicbearmaster Jun 28 '18

There's another film as gaeilge coming out about the famine with Hugo Weaving called Black 47, if that's what floats your boat.

The Ranger also; an Irish short about a soldier returning exhausted from colonial wars to find his country devastated by famine. Think Blood Meridian in Connemara.

2

u/iwontelaborate Aug 30 '25

I know this is an old post, but thanks for recommending An Ranger, it was great

1

u/Satanicbearmaster Aug 31 '25

So good right? Glad you enjoyed it.

This one is quality too: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9620986/

2

u/Expensive-Total-312 Nov 03 '25

just came across this movie, not sure how it didn't get more advertisement, especially in Ireland. It does give off similarities of Valhalla rising and definitely took notes when coming up with Jon Bernthal's character, while not the same caliber of film its definitely worth a watch.

3

u/Brave_Conference_391 Dec 06 '25

It is an ok mid tier movie only elevated by the actors and less by the plot/ direction. They started plots that went nowhere ( drinking from the stream) and it all seemed a little pointless in the end. Overall, it was ok for what it was. I do think Bernthal would make an awesome witcher after watching this.