The Mission is a 2023 American documentary film directed and produced by Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss. It explores the death of American missionary John Allen Chau, who was killed by arrows during a self-initiated mission involving an indigenous group of the Andaman Islands, the Sentinelese.
| The Mission | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | |
| Produced by |
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| Cinematography | Thorsten Thielow |
| Edited by | Aaron Wickenden |
| Music by | |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Picturehouse Altitude Film Sales (Internationally)[1] |
Release dates |
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Running time | 103 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $58,639[2][3] |
It had its world premiere at the 50th Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2023, and was released on October 13, 2023, by Picturehouse.
Plot
editIn 2018, John Allen Chau, an American missionary, went to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He then illegally attempted to make contact with one of the world's most isolated indigenous peoples, the uncontacted and legally protected Sentinelese. After bribing fishermen to take him to North Sentinel Island, Chau was killed by the Sentinelese. The film explores his life and death. Levi Davis, a fellow student of Chau's, historian Adam Goodheart, and professor and former missionary Daniel Everett appear in the film.[4]
Release
editIt had its world premiere at the 50th Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2023.[5][6] It also screened at the Camden International Film Festival on September 15, 2023.[7][8] and the BFI London Film Festival on October 8, 2023.[9][10] It was released on October 13, 2023, by Picturehouse.[11]
Reception
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 51 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "The Mission's compassionate and nuanced approach to retelling a real-life tragedy makes this an engrossing exploration of the intersection between delusion and faith."[12] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 74 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[13]
References
edit- ^ "National Geographic Documentary Films Dates Theatrical Release for THE MISSION, From Lightbox and Award-Winning Directors Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss, Debuts Trailer and Key Art | Business Wire".
- ^ "The Mission (2023)". The Numbers. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
- ^ "The Mission (2023)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
- ^ "National Geographic Documentary Films Dates Theatrical Release for THE MISSION, From Lightbox and Award-Winning Directors Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss, Debuts Trailer and Key Art". Business Wire. August 31, 2023. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
- ^ Davis, Clayton (August 31, 2023). "Telluride Lineup Includes World Premieres of 'Saltburn,' 'The Bikeriders' and 'Rustin' With Tributes for Yorgos Lanthimos and Wim Wenders". Variety. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
- ^ "Program Guide" (PDF). Telluride Film Festival. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
- ^ "The Mission". Camden International Film Festival. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
- ^ Morfoot, Addie (August 22, 2023). "Camden Film Festival, a Key Stop on the Awards Circuit for Doc Contenders, Reveals 2023 Lineup (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
- ^ "The Mission". BFI London Film Festival. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
- ^ Ntim, Zac (August 31, 2023). "BFI London Film Festival Full Lineup: 'The Book Of Clarence' World Premiere; Scorsese, Miyazaki, Lanthimos & Fincher Among Headline Galas". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
- ^ Carey, Matthew (August 31, 2023). "He Went To Convert Indigenous Islanders And Was Met With Arrows: Watch Trailer For Riveting NatGeo Doc 'The Mission' – Telluride". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
- ^ "The Mission". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
- ^ "The Mission". Metacritic. Retrieved February 9, 2024.