The Pilgrim’s Progress 2019

Not-Cursed sits beyond the garden of four rivers, in a rough nook of Apollon where ancient forces loom. Here, Apollyon, Andrew Wyncott, the master of corruption, keeps a careful watch over his workers and the quiet machinery of a world that distrusts light. In this realm, danger hides in the ordinary, and every routine seems a prelude to testing faith.

One day, an employer discovers a missing employee and immediately reports it to his superior. The investigation leads to Faithful, Jonathan Keeble, the missing man who has vanished beyond the borders toward something called the Celestial City. The discovery is not merely a disappearance; it points to a journey, a map of where hope might still be found and where danger could shadow every step. Christian, David Thorpe (the other worker who becomes a central traveller), encounters a book in Faithful’s office that grips him with its promises and warnings alike. He becomes utterly convinced of its truth, enough to warn his family of an impending calamity and urge them to flee with him toward a future they cannot yet fully imagine. His wife resists, brushing the book aside as fiction, leaving Christian heartbroken but resolute to pursue the path Faithful took.

Along the road, Christian is first guided by Evangelist, John Rhys-Davies, who counsels fortitude and steady purpose. The journey gains a curious companion in Pliable, Tristan Beint, a man lured by the lure of wonders and a smooth ride ahead. Yet their partnership falters quickly when hardship appears: they stumble into the Swamp of Despondency, and Pliable falters, turning back as hope drains away. Christian presses on, and is briefly rescued by a man who goes by “You Called,” a figure who warns that harsher trials lie ahead and that the road will demand more than naïve courage.

Deeper into the forest, a perilous encounter with Worldly Wiseman, Chris Pavlo, tempts Christian with visions of wealth and ease. The offer leads him toward a village governed by a stern, inflexible morality that feels almost imprisoning. The Law of Moses presides there as an overwhelming force, and the weight of its many rules threatens to crush any sense of relief or purpose. Evangelist intervenes, reminding Christian that law alone cannot save him or guide him to the Celestial City. They escape a swarm of hostile villagers who would capture them, their faith tested but not broken.

Further along the path, Christian is attacked by bats and saved by the Gatekeeper, Stephen Daltry. That night, he is drawn to the Interpreter’s house, where she teaches him that the light-path through life has protectors for those who persevere. The Interpreter’s lessons illuminate a crucial idea: endurance on the path brings not only danger but protection for those who hold fast to the light. The insights deepen Christian’s resolve as he moves toward the Path of Patience, where heralds of the King welcome him as a citizen of the Celestial City and clothe him in a new garment of worth and purpose.

At Vigilant’s dwelling, Christian receives armor and a sword from Vigilant’s daughters, a symbolic provisioning for the battles ahead. Armed for spiritual combat, he meets the prince of corruption once more in Apollyon, facing him with a courage that surprises even himself. He emerges from the encounter changed, more resolved, and more aware of the costs of the journey.

The road soon brings him back into contact with Faithful, whom he had pursued earlier, and with Evangelist once again. The warnings about Vanity Fair grow sharper: the elder guides foretell that one of them will shed his blood. When they reach the fair, the prophecy is fulfilled—Faithful is executed, and Christian is imprisoned, awaiting judgment. In his cell, a gaoler named Hopeful, Justin Butcher, reveals himself as an ally who secretly opposes their captors. Hopeful helps Christian escape by manipulating the gaoler’s guard, and the two men press on together, seeking refuge in a place that turns out to be a giant’s shoe.

Imprisoned in the giant’s dungeon, they realize the giants cannot truly harm them because of their unshakable hope. A Shepherd appears, urging them to walk together and keep their eyes on the lighthouse-like glow of the Celestial City nearby. But evil does not yield easily; Apollyon, disguising himself as an old man, intercepts them and captures them again. A herald of the King rescues them, guiding them to the edge of the sea where the waters rise into a passage.

Hopeful reassures Christian that the final crossing requires stepping into the sea, even as thoughts of family and home pull at him. He heeds Evangelist’s counsel and steps into the water. The struggle with Apollyon resumes, but the Shepherd’s blood is shed, light breaks forth, and Apollyon is cast down into the depths. Christian awakens to find the Shepherd welcoming him into the Celestial City, where Faithful and Hopeful stand ready to greet him as a new citizen.

In the epilogue, Christian’s wife wakes to find a letter beside her bed, revealing that her husband is still alive. Tears flow as she shares the news with their children. Meanwhile, Apollyon, now a raging dragon, shrieks above their home, a dark omen that the struggle is far from finished. The screen fades to black with the quiet, haunting message: “To be continued…”