Jon Bernthal and Tom Holland’s First Epic Deserves a Rewatch 9 Years Later

Nine years before Jon Bernthal and Tom Holland became box-office draws in The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day respectively, they first appeared together in Pilgrimage, a 2017 historical epic now streaming that is worth revisiting. Directed by Brendan Muldowney, the film follows monks in medieval Ireland tasked with escorting a holy relic to Rome, protected by a mute warrior (Bernthal) while pursued by the ruthless Raymond de Merville (Richard Armitage, playing a knight who wants the relic for the English king). The renewed availability of the film gives fans a chance to see an early, formative collaboration between the two now-A-list actors.

The film is noted for its escalating, brutal violence, much of it delivered by Bernthal's silent but ferocious character, alongside a deeper exploration of religious faith and the extremes people go to in its name. Muldowney has said the themes resonated with his own upbringing in a country where the church held significant social control. Both lead performances are singled out as highlights: Bernthal conveys emotion largely through physicality and expression, while Holland, playing Brother Diarmuid, delivers a nuanced arc as his character ultimately turns away from the relic and rethinks his faith, in what is described as his first real showcase of dramatic range.