X
  • 2023
  • PG-13
  • National Geographic Documentary Films
  • 1 h 43 m
  • 2023
  • PG-13
  • National Geographic Documentary Films
  • 1 h 43 m
The Mission

Summary In 2018, a shocking event made headlines around the world: a young American missionary, John Chau, was killed by arrows while attempting to contact one of the world’s most isolated Indigenous peoples on remote North Sentinel Island. Through exclusive interviews and with unprecedented access to Chau’s secret plans, personal diaries, and v...

Written By: Jesse Moss

  • 2023
  • PG-13
  • National Geographic Documentary Films
  • 1 h 43 m
  • 2023
  • PG-13
  • National Geographic Documentary Films
  • 1 h 43 m

The Mission

Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 12 Critic Reviews
74
User Score Universal Acclaim Based on 4 User Ratings
8.5
My Score
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Where to Watch

Summary In 2018, a shocking event made headlines around the world: a young American missionary, John Chau, was killed by arrows while attempting to contact one of the world’s most isolated Indigenous peoples on remote North Sentinel Island. Through exclusive interviews and with unprecedented access to Chau’s secret plans, personal diaries, and v...

Written By: Jesse Moss

Where to Watch

Top Cast

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 12 Critic Reviews
74
83% Positive
10 Reviews
17% Mixed
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 12 Critic Reviews
74
83% Positive
10 Reviews
17% Mixed
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
90
Oct 15, 2023
In its voices tinged with sorrow and re-examined history, this expertly tuned film is simply pro-introspection: a heavy-hearted look at an unnecessary death and a cultural superiority long deserving of scrutiny.
By Robert Abele FULL REVIEW
83
Oct 12, 2023
The first half of The Mission is triumphant, offering a multitude of thought-provoking ways to approach a tragedy. But with so many fascinating angles at their disposal, it’s unfortunate that Moss and McBaine didn’t take a bigger swing with their ending.
By Christian Zilko FULL REVIEW
80
Oct 13, 2023
It’s a hefty, substantial, at times dizzying experience despite lacking some elements that might have elevated it to the highest levels of its form.
By Kyle Smith FULL REVIEW
75
Oct 24, 2023
Although the focus eventually returns to Chau’s disastrous undertaking, the asides gradually take over. The film expands into a debate on the ethics of missionary Christianity.
By Mark Jenkins FULL REVIEW
75
Oct 13, 2023
For its near-miss moments, the inside-out approach of The Mission results in a richer film than one might have expected from reading the summary on a streaming menu.
By Matt Zoller Seitz FULL REVIEW
70
Oct 12, 2023
The most barbed aspect of the movie, a National Geographic release, is its acknowledgment of the role that National Geographic itself has played in exoticizing groups like the North Sentinelese.
By Ben Kenigsberg FULL REVIEW
50
Oct 18, 2023
Moss and McBaine do well to examine their subject from every angle. And yet, it’s not nearly enough.
By Dan Mecca FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

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User Score
Universal Acclaim Based on 4 User Ratings
8.5
100% Positive
4 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Universal Acclaim Based on 4 User Ratings
8.5
100% Positive
4 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Details

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Production Company Lightbox, Mile End Films
Release Date Oct 13, 2023
Duration 1 h 43 m
Rating PG-13
Genres
Website https://themission.film/
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Awards

Critics' Choice Documentary Awards
• 4 Nominations
Cinema Eye Honors Awards, US
• 1 Nomination
North Texas Film Critics Association, US
• 1 Nomination

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