There are some topics that are literally impossible to discuss or even think about in an unbiased manner. The most obvious of these is likely religion. And when you add in the fervor necessary to become a missionary, this only becomes more difficult to process. Oh, and just for fun, let’s add in a news story that grabbed headlines for a period of time. You can probably already see the variety of ways in which this could go deeply, intensely awry. This is the challenge that Justin Lin has saddled himself with in Last Days.
The film tells the story of John Chau (Sky Yang), who, as a missionary, traveled to the North Sentinel Island, a remote area where the locals purposefully had no contact with the modern world. After visiting the island numerous times, he was killed and his body has never been returned or discovered. Given this story’s popularity in 2018, everyone had an opinion almost immediately. Is this simply a man of faith who gave up literally everything for his beliefs? Is Mr. Chau just a fool who wandered into his own death? Or does that truth lie somewhere in between? These are questions that director Justin Lin is interested in, but it is a shame that the film seems to have no actual message or point of view to speak of.
Smartly, the film begins with the audio of people’s reactions to the case, perfectly setting the stage for a message from the director that never arrives. And this is a shame, because that opening scene, paired with the contact made by Chau on the island, is riveting and exciting. Anyone who knows Lin’s work in the action genre will not be surprised that this, the one action-driven scene in the film, is as good as it gets. The next 117 minutes or so are not bad per se, but are deeply confused and unfocused.
There are a lot of different interesting viewpoints that Lin and screenwriter Ben Ripley could have picked to tell an interesting story about faith gone wrong (or right, depending on your perspective). And it’s not that they chose the wrong angle, it is that they never choose and want to cover every possible base. Chau’s perspective as a young, lost man who finds solace in the simple answers of faith? Plenty of material abounds in the film. His parents’ (Ken Leung and Claire Price in thankless roles) perspective, partially confused and somewhat proud? This is only a small part of the film, but it is certainly present. An entire plotline focused on the police who are tracking him and trying to save his life? A shocking amount! This is perhaps the most wrongheaded tactic that Lin takes, focused on a police officer obsessed with the case (Radhika Apte), who is in constant battles with her boss (Naveen Andrews). There is a particular plot reveal that makes it even more so, showing a deep cultural misunderstanding on more than one level.
Despite all of this deeply interesting material, this is a film that demands that the creators pick a side. Is this the tragic story of one man trying to make a difference, or is this the story of how organized religion has poisoned people to the point that they foolishly offer up their lives? There is a good film in either direction, but Last Days is neither of these and, more importantly, is not a good film. It seems so afraid of making enemies that it never stands up and speaks clearly.
The film is beautiful to look at, thanks to stunning cinematography from Oliver Bokelberg and some spry camera movement (that gets overdone in the last scene). All of the performers are certainly game for what Lin asked of them, but given what we already know about the true story, the whole thing just feels like it is spinning its wheels. Sadly, Last Days tells us very little about the nature of faith, obsession, or even the impact of making contact with a society that desires to be left alone. This movie wants to have its cake and eat it, too. Unfortunately, the audience, left wanting even a crumb, goes hungry. And this time, there are no miracles of the loaves and fishes to prove his point.
Last Days will debut in theaters on October 24, 2025, courtesy of Vertical Entertainment.
This movie wants to have its cake and eat it, too. Unfortunately, the audience, left wanting even a crumb, goes hungry. And this time, there are no miracles of the loaves and fishes to prove his point.
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Dave is a lifelong film fan who really got his start in the independent film heyday of the 90’s. Since then, he has tried to branch out into arthouse, international, and avant garde film. Despite that, he still enjoys a good romcom or action movie. His goal is to always expand his horizons, through writing and watching new movies.
