25 Epic Movies Like 300 Everyone Needs To See
By Emily Bell
"Pilgrimage" follows a group of monks on a brutal trek across medieval Ireland in an effort to deliver a holy relic to the Pope. It also features a cast of now A-list actors like Tom Holland and Jon Bernthal. The movie, directed by Brendan Muldowney, follows the "Apocalypse Now" or "Heart of Darkness" storytelling model.
The monks, set in their ways and beliefs about the Church, face increasingly bizarre, dangerous, and violent scenarios on their journey, with various different parties interested in the relic. By time they reach their final destination, the group (mild spoiler) has changed. Holland plays Brother Diarmuid, a young, fresh-faced monk who's never left the monastery. Bernthal plays "Mute," a monastery laborer who doesn't speak and seeks redemption for the heinous sins he committed as a knight in the Crusades.
While some of the ideas in the movie are not particularly fresh, its unique setting creates opportunities for all kinds of dips and dives into some of medieval history's truly chaotic elements. For example, the presence of Gaelic tribes stand in for the colonized peoples in stories like "Heart of Darkness," while mounted knights replace the helicopter battalions famously captured on film in "Apocalypse Now."
Plus, for fans of "300"-style action, Bernthal delivers as a shirtless bruiser of a bodyguard who's as talented with his fists as he is with a sword. The movie went under the radar upon release, but it's certainly worth tracking down now.
