Reviewer's Rating 3 out of 5
Pilgrim (1999)
15

Ray Liotta wakes up as 'Jack', somewhere in the New Mexico desert, with no idea how he got there, or who he is. It's the type of intriguing premise that hooks from the beginning and under the direction of Harley Cokeliss, it's not wasted.

Liotta clearly hasn't been hanging out with people who are good for his karma. Battered and bruised, he's rescued from the baking desert by reclusive artist Vicky (Gloria Rueben), who is pleasing from any perspective. However, sex is not top of Liotta's agenda (give the boy time), as he desperately tries to piece together who the hell he is.

A large roll of money, a corpse in his hotel room, and an ID that reveals he himself died two years earlier are his starting points. A group of angry gun-toting men form his next encounter, and from there on Liotta realises that it's not healthy to be him, especially if he doesn't fulfil a mysterious contract.

Straight to video this may be, but this is tighter and more efficient than a lot of over-indulgent thrillers that may have robbed you at the cinema. As Cokeliss reveals in our exclusive interview, he keeps the film subjective, so there are surprises in store even for the most perceptive viewer.

This is not the first thriller to deal with amnesia but it is refreshingly assured, well paced, and compact. Liotta delivers a subtle but measured performance as a Jekyll who realises that he is also a Hyde, with a price on his head.

End Credits

Director: Harley Cokeliss

Writer: Peter Milligan, Harley Cokeliss

Stars: Ray Liotta, Gloria Reuben, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Daniel Kash, Lisa Owen

Genre: Thriller

Original: 1999

VHS: 12 February 2001

Country: Canada/UK/Mexico/Germany

Cinema Search

Where can I see this film?

New Releases