The Mission

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 read the story of John Chai before. Yes, he was someone's son and a lot of people's friend. But frankly... He was an a$$hole. He could have killed those poor people. There should have been ZERO perspective told from any evangelicals. There shouldn't be any validation that what he did was remotely acceptable. This kid has a messiah complex and caused nothing but pain and suffering to his parents and friends. The disgusting sermon in the end shouldn't have even been featured. To sum things up.. "Whether it's a sweet tribal tattoo or being killed by an isolated indigenous tribe, you just messed up the family Christmas photo"

First, to those complaining this is "too Christian", it's anything but. This documentary tries to ride the line and show multiple sides, but it leans heavier to the "he was misguided" side with some strong digs toward evangelicals and missionary work in general. It is anything but sympathetic to mission work and goes out of its way to highlight all the "damage" done by missionaries, or at the very least, the wasted efforts (by interviewing a missionary turned atheist).

I appreciated the various points of view and the attempt to be impartial, but several things gummed up this documentary.

The animation was not appealing to me. I would have preferred re-enactments or a different animation style. It seemed cheap and cheesy at times, though still effective and better than nothing.

The editing was confusing, leaving me wondering what the point of the documentary was. For a documentary about such a focused and driven (misguided or not) young man, the film it self was far less confident and focused, meandering from non-commitment, to moments of sympathy, then on to scathing appraisals of disagreement, and finally landing with an awkward sense of off-balance closure with a religious, but non-Christian, poem by the dad.

I felt like this film tried to be something everyone could appreciate, but ended up being something that probably won't please the skeptics or the believers. We might assume that's the expected outcome of neutral journalism, but it felt too cobbled together and forced to seem relevant.

The information was fascinating, but the film, for me, was disappointing.

The podcast Behind the B has an incredible series on this event and the history of colonialist and neighboring people involving themselves with the very unwilling North Sentinelese people that was very informative and interesting and made it very clear that these people want to be left alone and reinforcing that what Chau did was reckless, stupid, arrogant and selfish. I highly recommend the podcast if you want to actually learn about what happened, including what John did in the lead up to going to the island that helped him rationalize his decision. This documentary is borderline harmful in glorifying this man and treating him like a dreamer with a calling instead of a selfish moron while making the people he endangered take a back seat to this wannabe colonialist.

It's really a story that we all know about.

But the real question is how it's told.

The storytelling, for me, was pretty average. I like the live-action bit, but it did not blow my mind for sure. I wish the interviews had more depth. I like that they tried to humanise Chau - a brilliant but dumb kid who wants to "save" the world from Hell and pave the way for Jesus' return. However, his dad's mournful letter cannot be the sole reason for me to empathise with Chau. I wish the filmmakers tried digging deeper into his life.

Also, how can you give TN Pandit such little screen time? And how can you miss the incredible Madhumala Chattopadhyay in this documentary that revolves around North Sentinel? Wish it was extensively researched and showed the Indian perspective.