The Mission
National Geographic Documentary Films | Release Date: October 13, 2023 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
74
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
10
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleOct 15, 2023
In its voices tinged with sorrow and re-examined history, this expertly tuned film is simply pro-introspection: a heavy-hearted look at an unnecessary death and a cultural superiority long deserving of scrutiny. Read full review
83
The PlaylistRodrigo PerezOct 12, 2023
As an intriguing and complex portrait of humanism vs. idealism (to be civil about it), there’s also a fine line between faith and madness, and to their credit, The Mission filmmakers leave it up to the audience to decide where they stand; perhaps the sign of sharp filmmakers hoping to leave their viewer hashing it out for hours afterward (something that doc certainly engenders). Read full review
83
IndieWireChristian ZilkoOct 12, 2023
The first half of The Mission is triumphant, offering a multitude of thought-provoking ways to approach a tragedy. But with so many fascinating angles at their disposal, it’s unfortunate that Moss and McBaine didn’t take a bigger swing with their ending. Read full review
80
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Anne T. DonahueOct 19, 2023
Anthropologists, former missionaries and Chau’s friends offer valuable perspectives – and prompt viewers to examine their own roles in perpetuating ages-old saviour complexes. The Mission’s message is as timely as it is timeless, tragically. Read full review
80
Wall Street JournalKyle SmithOct 13, 2023
It’s a hefty, substantial, at times dizzying experience despite lacking some elements that might have elevated it to the highest levels of its form. Read full review
80
Screen DailyAllan HunterOct 12, 2023
The Mission is a thoughtful, fair-minded exploration of what motivated Chau, and also spreads out to confront bigger questions on the legacy of colonialism, the delusions of white saviour narratives and the thin line between faith and fantasy. Read full review
75
Washington PostMark JenkinsOct 24, 2023
Although the focus eventually returns to Chau’s disastrous undertaking, the asides gradually take over. The film expands into a debate on the ethics of missionary Christianity. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comMatt Zoller SeitzOct 13, 2023
For its near-miss moments, the inside-out approach of The Mission results in a richer film than one might have expected from reading the summary on a streaming menu. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterLovia GyarkyeOct 12, 2023
Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss’ The Mission is an empathetic and reconstructive portrait propelled by questions surrounding Chau’s voyage. Read full review
70
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergOct 12, 2023
The most barbed aspect of the movie, a National Geographic release, is its acknowledgment of the role that National Geographic itself has played in exoticizing groups like the North Sentinelese. Read full review
60
The GuardianPhuong LeNov 14, 2023
Though effective in filling in the gaps of Chau’s story, the impressionistic animation dramatising his final moments commits a similar sin as the swashbuckling tales of yore, and makes a spectacle out of a tragedy that is ultimately not all that mysterious or abstract – but in fact grounded in material sociopolitical contexts. Read full review
50
The Film StageDan MeccaOct 18, 2023
Moss and McBaine do well to examine their subject from every angle. And yet, it’s not nearly enough. Read full review
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