Too slow (could have been 45-60 mins) the talking heads aren't introduced with captions, leaving you guessing. Cartoon reenactments are lovely quality though.

The true story of his sacrifice is a beautiful reminder of grace and forgiveness. The man who killed him came to know the Lord Jesus, he went around preaching the Good News himself with the martyr son, who also forgave him.

Interposed interviews with narrations with pastel animated sequences and social media footage, this documentary expounds the aspiration and ambition of John Allen Chau, the American evangelical Christian missionary slain by Sentinelese, a tribe in voluntary isolation at North Sentinel Island on his undertaking to convert them to Christianity and proceeds to delve deeper into heavier discussions of malformed religious romanticism and atheism.

Excellent look at the insanity of fundamentalist fanatics and the consequences of “missionary” work. Leave people alone!

Its less of a pop psychological examination than it is an indictment of a particular worldview, which is fair given that the death of this young man was so utterly pointless.

2023's 'The Mission's is a troubling look at what happens when the lines between faith and delusion are severely blurred. SYNOPSIS: '26-year-old American missionary John Chau was killed as he attempted to make contact with an Indigenous group off the coast of India, one of the last communities on the planet still living in isolation.' This is an exceptional documentary which asks so many questions on what's right and wrong, what's morally correct and whether religion can ultimately lead to brain washing and the ultimate sacrifice. Chau's unwavering resolve to introduce the teachings of Christ to the indigenous people of Sentinel Island in the end costs him his life. But was he really there by choice? The film becomes a larger debate on the ethics of the missionary work of parts of the Christian church, and diverts too much away from Chau's story. In reality, this story could've been told in 60 minutes but the directors decide to add a lot of historical waffle. For me it's a story of obsession, devotion and delusion. But it's also about the loss suffered by Chau's family and their grieving may never be allowed to end. 8/10

Such a disappointment. This agendacumentary paints John as an unwitting victim of a "radical" or "extreme " evangelism movement, when in fact John had a full blown messia complex, even the mission trainers were concerned about it. It's obvious by simply observing his comments about personally being the man to save them... and a friend, a minister, and his own father explicitly mention "messiah complex". NOBODY but himself was championing this, and he knew the risks, telling people "I might never see you again", and avoiding the law at every chance to live his purely self-inflicted fantasy. Even his last words indicated he was probably going to his death, just that after having a hostile first interaction wherein his Bible was shot with an arrow ...by a kid, and then he went back anyway! There's non-stupid evangelism, and there's stupid evangelism. This was the later. His friend at the beginning nailed it "he was stupid". Jesus didn't say go get yourself killed. He said spread the gospel to he "who has ears to hear". Everyone knew the Sentinelese did NOT want to hear his message. Zero stars for an agendacumentary posing as an objective presentation of the facts.

Excellent film about radical faith and the sometimes arrogance that comes with it. The world would be so much more peaceful if we allowed everyone to live their own way and with their own beliefs versus forcing ours onto them.

This was one of the most well-rounded documentaries I've seen in a very long time, if not ever. Very well done! 👍🏻

A fantastic documentary about the insanity of the far right evangelicals and how their brainwashing can lead to unnecessary death. Exceptional.

"Nuanced" is a good descriptor — this movie neither damns nor praises evangelical missionaries, and even for non-religious viewers like me, John Chao is fairly relatable. I was most interested in the interviews with former missionaries and how changed, or not, they were by their mission experience. Conversely, I was deeply distressed that some evangelical leaders did nothing to dissuade John from pursuing what nearly everyone thought was a suicide mission. His evangelical educators and mentors seemed more concerned with promoting their church and furthering its religious goals than protecting a fervently unrealistic member of their flock. Like other (more rational) missionaries, John could have had a real impact (whether I think that's wrong or not) literally anywhere else in the world. I came away from the movie more agnostic than ever.

Is religious missionary work an act of altruism or arrogance? Does it represent a quest for the fulfillment of one's spiritual potential or a euphemistic cover for an inflated sociopathic ego? And, in either case, is it even possible to distinguish the two? Those are legitimate questions in the case of 26-year-old fundamentalist Christian missionary John Chau, who disappeared and was presumed dead in 2018 while attempting to spread the word of Jesus to the reclusive indigenous residents of North Sentinel Island, an Indian protectorate in the Bay of Bengal. The locale, one of the world's most difficult destinations to reach and one that's strictly off limits to outsiders, is home to an obscure, little-known tribe with a reputation for being mistrusting of and unwelcoming to strangers. Yet Chau was convinced that it was his destiny to convert them to Christianity no matter what, even at the cost of his life, a concern that worried his family, friends and seasoned missionaries who had attempted comparable initiatives with native people in other parts of the world. It was an effort that raised questions about Chau's motivations: Was he a committed religious zealot who truly wanted to spread the word of Christ, or was he suffering from a maniacal Messiah Complex hell-bent on testing the limits of his courage, hubris and personal capabilities? Directors Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss seek to answer these and other thorny questions about this enigmatic individual whose real intents may never really be known, leaving lingering doubts and pain about his mission in the minds of those who knew him. Thanks to unprecedented access to Chau's kindreds, as well as his recovered diaries, the filmmakers tell a captivating tale about his experience, along with thought-provoking ethical examinations about the nature and propriety of missionary work in connection with indigenous societies. Should it continue? Is it appropriate for Westerners and devout Christians to interfere in the spiritual lives of those who adhere to alternate viewpoints? Indeed, are these people genuinely in need of being "fixed," regardless of the alleged nobility behind the intentions of those seeking to carry out these transformations? "The Mission" offers viewers a delicately balanced view of these notions, prompting even the most dedicated disciples of this work to step back and take a new look at what they and their peers are carrying out. It also presents an eye-opening discussion of this subject, encouraging us to ask ourselves, how much is too much when it comes to missionary work, regardless of the religion involved? And when is it appropriate to leave things as they are for those who already appear to be happy and contented in their lives and beliefs? There's a lot on the line in this Critics Choice Documentary Award nominee, and, in light of the nature of its story, that's something we must never lose sight of.

I like the movie narrative; it's just that we shouldn't be glorifying a colonialist.

One of the best movies out there.

The film itself wasn't enjoyable to watch bouncing back and forth with animation, this kid's fantasy world or the schools selfishly promoting garbage with brainwashing is insulting!

A multi-layered story which ends up being very moving. Civilization meets the 'savages' and you begin to realize who the real savages are.