Last Days (Christian Movie Review)

Justin Lin should be commended for his attempt at a good-faith exploration of Christianity. Last Days raises some valid questions about the evangelical missionary movement, but it is ultimately undone by a heavy-handed third act.  

About the Film 

A movie about a young missionary who sacrifices his life for the sake of the gospel is the type of story viewers might expect to come out of the growing faith-based entertainment industry. But Last Days isn’t that film; it’s something far more interesting… and complicated. Directed by Justin Lin (of Fast and Furious fame), Last Days is a fascinating case of a religious story being told by someone outside the faith. Justin Lin should be commended for his attempt at a good-faith exploration of Christianity. Last Days raises some valid questions about the evangelical missionary movement, but it is ultimately undone by a heavy-handed third act.  

The film is based on the true story of John Allen Chau, a 26-year-old missionary who was killed in 2018 while attempting to share the gospel with the Sentinelese people. His death immediately sparked polarized responses, with people viewing him as either a courageous hero or a reckless fool. His own father blamed his son’s death on “extreme Christianity.” Last Days is less of an inspirational biopic on Chau than an attempt to grapple with that polarized reaction. The movie begins with a montage that features news reports about Chau’s death and ends with a voiceover, “The question now is . . . who was John Allen Chau?” That’s the question Justin Lin attempts to untangle. He investigates what would lead a handsome, talented young man with a bright future to give his life in such an allegedly reckless manner. 

Hollywood filmmakers don’t have a reputation for portraying Christian characters in a way most believers would affirm as an honest representation. To be fair, atheists can level the same criticism at Christian filmmakers. Faith-based films, like those in the God’s Not Dead franchise, suggest every atheist is an angry alcoholic who disrespects woman and has flimsy reasons for rejecting God. To his credit, Lin at least attempts to provide a good-faith representation of Christianity. Chau is a likeable, relatively normal guy. For the most part, the film doesn’t pass judgement on him or diminish the sincerity of his faith. At least, not until the movie’s unfortunate third act (more on that later). As expected, Lin doesn’t appear to fully grasp the essence of the gospel. Chau is clearly motivated to spread it, but the content of the gospel and the foundation of Chau’s relationship with Jesus are never explored. Even so, Lin doesn’t take a condescending approach to religion (until he does).  

Having an unbeliever tell the story of a Christian missionary certainly sparks some valid concerns, but it also takes the story in directions it may not otherwise go. Were Last Days made by a faith-based studio or director, the focus would surely be on sharing an inspirational narrative of a heroic missionary who gave everything for the sake of the gospel. Instead, Justin Lin approaches the story from an outsider’s perspective and asks some difficult questions: Does a radicalized approach to missions feed on young people’s adventurous spirit and thrill-seeking desires? Why does God’s call on people’s life so often take the form of mission trips to glamorous and exotic places rather than serving the homeless at a local soup kitchen? Viewers may not agree with how the film explores these questions. But just because a question makes Christians uncomfortable doesn’t mean it isn’t worth pondering. 

What makes the film more digestible for Christians is that, for much of the film, Lin is content to raise questions, present the facts, and let viewers draw their own conclusions. After its initial release at film festivals, Last Days was widely criticized for its refusal to “take a side.” The theatrical version of the film released for general audiences is a new cut by Lin, and (having not seen the original) I’m curious if he shifted his approach in reaction to that early criticism. By the end, Lin has definitely “taken a side,” and the film suffers as a result.   

The unfortunate turning point when Lin switches from raising good-faith questions to pushing his own ideological vantage point is a bizarre third-act sequence during which Chau engages in a sexual encounter with a stranger. As far as I can tell, the event is wholly an invention of the film, and it completely reframes the story and Chau’s character. No longer a sincere man of faith, Chau is exposed as a lost, confused, and sexually repressed young male who is willing to abandon his zealous, life-long missionary convictions at the first sight of a semi-naked woman.  

As a result of the sexual escapade, the impetus of his final (and ultimately fatal) attempt to evangelize the Sentinelese becomes his sexual confusion rather than the theological convictions he detailed in his preserved journals. The invented subplot establishes a clash of worldviews, with the worldly ideal of “the good life” as carefree youth and sexual liberty contrasted with the repressive and manipulative religious lifestyle. The film’s B-plot, which focuses on a local police officer’s attempt to locate Chau for the American embassy, furthers this tension. She is revealed to be a lesbian who is unable to live how she desires due to the oppressive influence of religion. Thus, despite the initial attempt at a balanced exploration of religion, by the end of the film, faith has clearly been established as the villain. 

Overall, Last Days is one of the more interesting films I have seen in some time. It raises difficult questions and attempts to facilitate constructive dialogue rather than delivering a one-sided lecture. Christians might be inclined to become upset by any inaccurate representation of the faith. A more edifying approach may be to attempt to understand how Christianity and the gospel are understood by people outside the church walls, just as Justin Lin endeavors to understand those within the church. For 85% of the film, Last Days tells a refreshing, provocative story. Unfortunately, it can’t stick the landing and ultimately reverts to the type of film many Christians likely feared from the start.    

Motivations for Serving God  

Is it possible to serve God for the wrong reasons? That’s the question Justin Lin is seemingly raising about John Allen Chau. The film doesn’t question the sincerity of his belief in God, but it implies that his missionary motivations may have been selfish. Near the end of the film, a police officer voices this accusation, “This is not about God! . . . He’s just lost!” That’s the prevailing impression Last Days leaves, that Chau was a restless young man in search of adventure who found an outlet for that desire within the missionary movement.     

Jesus himself cautioned against this danger: “But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” (Matthew 6:3). There is risk in doing the right thing for the wrong reasons. 

In the film, reaching the Sentinelese is described as the “ultimate mission.” Chau’s missionary mentor tells him it’s “the Mount Everest of the missionary world. Start with something small.” But Chau counters, “I’m not thinking small. I’m going big!” In an earlier encounter, the missionary asks, “In this day and age, what makes someone a saint? What kind of risks are you willing to take? How far behind enemy lines are you willing to go?”

Christians may disagree with Lin’s handling of Chau’s story, but the danger he raises is real. Christians are not called to “go big” but to follow Jesus wherever he leads.