FilmSnobReviews

Title: The Pilgrim
MPAA Rating: Not Yet Rated
Director: Joshua Benson
Starring: Jeff Worden, Rachel Colwell, Julie Oliver Touchstone
Runtime: 1 hr 34 Minutes

What it is: Will (played by Jeff Worden) is an American architect living in London. His life is one of luxury. He has a wealthy and comfy job that is his obsession, a beautiful girlfriend he lives with, and overall has reached a level of success that surpasses his humble beginnings. One day, however, he gets a call from his estranged relatives where he learns that his mother, who lives in America, is dead. Upon returning to the states, he soon finds that it was in her will that he spread her ashes at the ranch she grew up in. Having to confront old wounds and demons of his own past, Will soon finds himself going on a road trip through the American West. A trip where he is forced to face familial trauma and his broken dreams.

What We Think: The Pilgrim is an interesting and somewhat unconventional film. There are scenes of dialogue and the dialogue does offer insight into the film’s themes; however, this film is less about what is said and more about what isn’t. It is beautifully shot. Each frame looks like an art piece and it is all-natural lighting. Every bit of the movie is visually striking and feeds the eyes with rich scenery that is truly a delight to look at. Watching it, I almost felt like you could turn off the sound entirely, turn on maybe a Pink Floyd album through the runtime, and still not miss a beat as to what was happening in the story. It doesn’t feel like a film. More, an experience. Like a very long music video. Whether that’s positive or negative, this reviewer sees it more as a positive. It’s the kind of movie that makes you want to hop in the car and just start driving to wherever the road may take you. It’s slow and you aren’t always sure where the plot is going, but you feel the themes of grief and loss and coming to terms with trauma. Will is at first glance a well-put-together character, however, over the course of the film you see that mask of stability slip away and soon find a man broken and deeply haunted by his relationship with his mother. None of this, of course, would’ve been possible if it weren’t for the subtle but brilliant performance by Jeff Worden. His acting is really what holds the movie together. The film is a little light on dialogue but through his performance, so much is said without words. There is one scene in particular in an empty rodeo stadium that I would almost say is the highlight of the film because his acting is so good in it.

Where this movie may not do well with certain viewers is definitely the pacing. There are times when it feels like the actual, important plot beats are sped through to go to pretty shots of the American countryside. The lack of dialogue may be off-putting to some viewers as well since the artistic direction taken with the film is a very strong and different direction. Ultimately I would say that this is more of a preference sort of thing rather than anything against the film in general. 

Our Grade: B+, This film took risks. It relied on visual storytelling more than anything else to really get its point across. Because it did this, though, the movie feels almost more like a spiritual experience. It’s beautifully shot and I think it does a brilliant job of making you feel something, which I’m always a fan of when it comes to any sort of media. There are some I don’t think this film would resonate with, however, those that can appreciate a visually striking slow burn are in for a treat. You go with Will on this journey, and without him saying much at all, you can feel his search to find the bits of himself that have been broken by whatever went down between him and his mom in the past. You feel the journey of The Pilgrim.