Jon Bernthal and Tom Holland in 'Pilgrimage' (2017) Image via RLJE Films By Collier Jennings Published Sep 5, 2026, 12:08 AM EDT Collier Jennings is an entertainment journalist with extensive experience. Collier, or "CJ" to his friends and family, is a dedicated fan of genre films - particularly science fiction, fantasy, and comic book adaptations, not to mention all forms of animation. This stems from a close bond with his father, who introduced him to these genres via copies of X-Men comics and reruns of the original Ultraman series. With his near-encyclopedic knowledge and bottomless love of genre, he's tackled a wide variety of articles. Sign in to your Collider account Add Us Add on Google Preferred Source Google News Like Like follow Follow followed Followed Listen Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap 2026 is chock-full of box office breakouts, but Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey are the biggest winners. Christopher Nolan 's take on the iconic Greek epic recently became the highest-grossing R-rated movie in history , while the web-slinger's latest adventure is on track to be the biggest movie of the year. Beyond critical and commercial success, both movies also feature Tom Holland and Jon Bernthal in key roles, further cementing them as part of Hollywood's current A-list. What most movie fans might not know is that Holland and Bernthal first joined forces in a brutal historical epic nine years ago .
That epic is named Pilgrimage . Set in medieval Ireland, Pilgrimage follows a group of monks, including the young Brother Diarmuid (Holland), charged with bringing a holy relic to Rome. The monks' journey is complicated by warriors who seek the relic, including the malevolent Raymond de Merville ( Richard Armitage ). Thankfully, the monks have a warrior of their own : a mute man (Bernthal) who possesses incredible fighting skills. Now that Pilgrimage is streaming, fans of Holland and Bernthal's work can see their first movie.
Tom Holland as Brother Diarmuid in 'Pilgrimage' (2017). Image via RLJE Films Pilgrimage draws its audience's attention through scenes of escalating violence , as the monks and the Mute struggle to complete their mission. Much of this violence is committed by the Mute, who makes up for his lack of words with an abundance of bloodshed. Beyond that, the movie explores the nature of faith , specifically the great or terrible things people will do in its name. Most of the monks on the mission believe the relic holds its holy nature because it was struck by lightning yet remains intact. Merville, on the other hand, wants the relic for the King of England so that English forces can be bolstered by that belief. Director Brendan Muldowney said he was drawn to Pilgrimage for its themes of faith, which mirrored his own upbringing.
"I think that themes dealing with faith and a belief in God are always relevant and never go out of date. I was brought up in a country that still had the church very firmly in control of society. Not so much now, but I saw the use of fear to control, and I also witnessed hypocrisy as certain revaluations came to light in recent years."
In addition to its bloody violence and deep themes, Pilgrimage is carried by Tom Holland and Jon Bernthal , who deliver the best performances in the movie . Bernthal has to stay silent for most of Pilgrimage' s runtime, but he lets…