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Justin Lin is best known as the filmmaker behind the revitalization of theFast & Furiousfranchise, starting withTokyo Driftand including the fan-favoriteFast Five. However, after departing the franchise, he decided to return to his independent roots withLast Days, a film based on a powerful story. Unfortunately for Lin, this is not a particularly auspicious return to less spectacle-driven fare.
Last DaysReview
Last Daysis a dramatization of the final days in the life of John Allen Chau, a 26-year-old Christian mercenary who traveled to North Sentinel Island in the hopes of reaching the North Sentinelese — one of the most isolated native tribes in the world. It’s a fascinating story that has tons of articles and books about it, but Last Days seeks to give Chau’s tale the big-screen treatment.
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Ultimately, it seems as if the story of John Allen Chau — and the North Sentinelese in general — is doomed to never be depicted well on film. Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine’s documentaryThe Missionstruggled to tell the same story. When so little is known about a situation and group of people, it invites not only speculation but also xenophobia. It’s hard to tell a story that does not other-ize a people that we lack the knowledge and understanding of to depict with nuance.
It doesn’t help thatLast Daystakes an approach that is so rooted in Christian faith-based messaging that it feels like borderline Angel Studios propaganda. The North Sentinelese people are depicted as little more than a coveted object that the protagonist seeks to claim as his own. And throughout, we are reminded of the fact that Chau is doing “God’s work,” and it’s hard to imagine that the film is being satirical about this.
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The much more interesting storyline in the film is not that of Chau, but of an Indian police investigator who is racing against the clock to stop Chau from reaching North Sentinel Island before it is too late. It is here thatLast Daysis able to raise interesting questions, such as whether Chau’s missionary work constitutes a form of colonialism (it does) and whether we should allow the North Sentinelese to exist on their own in their traditions (we should). Of course, these moments are quickly undercut by the film’s insistence on returning to depict Chau as a victim.
Sky Yang, the relative newcomer who plays Chau, gives a genuinely strong performance in his lead role. The script gives him some of the most cringe-worthy dialogue you could possibly imagine, but Yang nevertheless manages to infuse it with the emotion it needs to work. He captures a great balance between the bright-eyed hopefulness of the character with the more deranged streak that underlies it.
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Unfortunately, the rest of the supporting cast is unable to stand up to the challenge of making the most of a poor script. Australian actor Toby Wallace (The Royal Hotel) and former Nickelodeon star Ciara Bravo are incredibly nondescript in their roles. Ken Leung, on the other hand, is downright embarrassing. He’s an incredibly talented actor, as most recently evidenced inIndustry, so maybe we can attribute his borderline caricature performance to poor writing and direction.
The cinematography by Oliver Bokelberg is quite strong, as is the production design. It looks genuinely good, doing a convincing job of creating its environments even though they are ones we have not seen. However, these technical merits are overshadowed by other aspects of the film that feel amateurish and overbearing, such as the lackluster editing and a ridiculous and cloying score.
IsLast Daysworth watching?
Truly, after the documentaryThe Missionwas already a miss, and this dramatization,Last Days, is utterly embarrassing, it feels like Hollywood needs to leave the story of John Allen Chau alone. Cinephiles might be hoping for more from a filmmaker with as many Hollywood hits under his belt as Justin Lin, butLast Daysis a shockingly incompetent and often offensive film.
Last Daysis screening at the 2025Sundance Film Festival, which runs January 22-February 2 in Park City and Salt Lake City, UT, and January 30-February 2 online.
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Sean Boelman
Managing Editor for Film and TV
Articles Published :441
Sean is the Managing Editor for Film and Television, working to determine editorial strategy for the critics team. He has been on the FandomWire team since 2022.In addition to writing reviews himself, Sean helps match writers on the FandomWire team with assignments that best fit their interests and expertise.
