Capsule Review 'The Mission' The Chicago International Film Festival

Competing for the Darwin Award, John Chau, a missionary from Oral Roberts University, decides to embark on Sentinel Island, India, to convert its hunter-gatherer society to Christianity. As you can imagine, it doesn't end well for John. Even one of John's best friends from Oral Roberts states that what his friend did was incredibly stupid. Although making a foolish decision, John himself isn't dumb. John trained to be a doctor and missionary. You can't be weak-minded to study both. He's very literate and cares deeply for his friends. In many respects, John is the idealistic Christian who uses Jesus' teaching to promote love instead of division.

For all the positive traits John encompasses, his decision to convert a tribe of people who want nothing to do with Christianity is irritating. Why does he need to bother these people? Is it to save them? What is he saving them from? The film doesn't spend much time on John's demise as it's more about the type of person he is. The problem with that is, is that I found myself caring less about how great a guy John was and wanted to cut to the chase when it came to his death since that's where the real story is. When we know what the outcome of John's adventure to India is, there's not much that's enticing to sit through. Where's the fallout? I want to see how John's death affected his friends and family. There's a story to be told after his death that's almost completely ignored.

The picture attempts to tell a moving story about a well-intentioned man who made a fatal mistake. John's death isn't only because of him, but the people that enabled him. His peers could have urged him not to go. So could have his father. If they did press upon him not to enter a suicide mission, it's not documented in this story.

I get that filmmakers Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine are trying to make a story about a great kid who wanted to do nothing more but spread love. I also understand this film wants to make its audience understand John, even to love him, but it didn't work for me, at least not for a feature. If The Mission were cut down to a short film, it would have been far more effective. A documentary feature about John Chau is well-intentioned but overly long cinema. 

The Mission will be playing at The Chicago International Film Festival on October 17, 2023.