Magellan

Name: Magellan
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Released: January 9, 2026
Duration: 160 min
Rating: 89

2026

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Universal acclaim based on 13 Critic Reviews

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Movie Details & Credits

Janus Films | Release Date: January 9, 2026 | Not Rated

Summary: At the dawn of the modern era, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (Gael García Bernal) navigated a fleet of ships to Southeast Asia, attempting the first voyage across the vast Pacific Ocean. On reaching the Malay Archipelago, the crew pushed to the brink of madness in the harshness of the high seas and overwhelming natural beauty ofAt the dawn of the modern era, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (Gael García Bernal) navigated a fleet of ships to Southeast Asia, attempting the first voyage across the vast Pacific Ocean. On reaching the Malay Archipelago, the crew pushed to the brink of madness in the harshness of the high seas and overwhelming natural beauty of the islands, Magellan's obsession leads to a rebellion and reckoning with the consequences of power.… Expand

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, History, Romance

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 160 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Guy Lodge

Jan 13, 2026

The spirit of slow cinema is alive and languid in this stunningly mounted, politically rigorous work, which confronts any viewers hoping for a sweeping biographical romp with a frank post-colonial perspective, thoroughly and violently dismantling any romanticized legacy trailing the eponymous Portuguese navigator. Read full review

100

Robert Abele

Jan 16, 2026

With a breathtaking eye for one-shot scenes and unwavering confidence in the demands he makes on our monkey-brained attention spans, Diaz has crafted a stunning piece of time travel, its languidness and exquisitely hued imagery working in perfect sync. Read full review

100

Michael Andor Brodeur

Jan 23, 2026

At 160 minutes, “Magellan” is one of the shortest and most accessible of Diaz’s films, which for the past decade have tended to fall between four and eight hours...But the scale of the film remains resolutely epic, in part because Diaz is patient and in part because he’s insistent on telling this story of conquest and domination on his terms. Read full review

Manohla Dargis

Jan 8, 2026

The most arresting way that Diaz telegraphs, though, is through the sheer beauty of his images. The movie is often visually intoxicating, at moments gasp-out-loud ravishing, especially in its presentation of the natural world, which can have a soft visual quality that deepens the sense of otherworldliness. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Glenn Kenny

Jan 9, 2026

Magellan, about the titular Portuguese explorer, clocks in at a relatively tidy two hours and 45 minutes, making it practically an ideal starter picture for those curious about Diaz’s work. Read full review

John Anderson

Apr 24, 2026

Everyone is doomed in Mr. Diaz’s account of European colonialism and exploratory naval history—not just the primitive Filipinos and Indonesians but the Portuguese on the mission from their silent God. And their covetous king. Read full review

The Film Stage Alistair Ryder

Aug 30, 2025

There’s much to like here, but I never felt I was seeing a fully-realized vision. Read full review

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