The Wasteland Reviewer

Last Days (2025) Written Review

Have you heard of the harrowing story of John Allen Chau? This young man (at 26 years old) disappeared and was never heard from again. A devout Christian out in the world to do the Christian work of a mission, this young man (portrayed by Sky Yang) made the decision to venture out into places that were untouched by modern society and “The Word of God”. Young yet naïve, Chau’s journey was never going to be a success. His recklessness puts him in the purview of a young police officer (portrayed by Radhika Apte) who must confront roadblocks in her way to try to save Chau’s life. That is the story that writer Ben Ripley and director Justin Lin bring to the big screen. 

How does Lin approach this harrow story on the big screen? The stage is set in one opening scene…for better or worse. We witness Chau arriving on the shores of this remote island and he is greeted by flying spears instead of open arms. The camera work (by cinematographer Oliver Bokelberg) is dynamic, engrossing, and horrifying. The close calls with these spears (as they wiz past Chau’s and the audience’s head) are unnerving and make you believe that you are in for an intense and thrilling film. Well…Last Days is not that film. There are fleeting moments of intensity and some strong filmmaking but most of the film lacks a strong drive in its storytelling. Lin struggles to focus on this story and keep the audience engaged. The two-hour runtime drags quite a few times. The tone is messy, wavering from the thriller elements of the opening scene to the corny and cheesy material from Ripley’s script. Even the final scene (in theory) is quite harrowing and emotional, but it lacks the impact due to the undeveloped elements of the rest of the film. 

Is Ripley able to craft a compelling script out of Chau’s harrowing story? Unfortunately, this screenplay leaves a lot to be desired. The narrative itself is presented in a choppy, uneven, and unfocused manner that makes it hard to follow. The choice of a nonlinear approach is to the detriment to Chau story. The film also lacks focus as the most compelling and engaging element of the film is Apte’s police officer and the struggle she deals with on the job. In a film about a missing young mission, why is it the best part of the law enforcement seeking him out? That is not a good reflection on how Chau and his journey are brought to life. Chau, along with all the other characters he meets along the way, is shallow and lacks clarity and depth of character. We never fully grasp Chau’s motivations for being so driven to do what he is doing. His conflict with his father is never fully fleshed out either. So much of the conflict or motivations of the film are fleshed out through exposition (which is made up of clunky dialogue as well). The script tries to spoon feed the audience while never actually putting enough on the spoon to feed them. The film feels so unfocused and overly simplified that it lacks the impact this story should have.

Does the cast help elevate this undeveloped script? Not all the performers in the film are ready to elevate some of this poorly conceived and clunky dialogue. Some of the line-readings paired with the dialogue will make the audience laugh instead of feeling the impact of the story. The young members of the cast are the ones who mostly struggle with this. Yang does find a few inspired moments of acting but he is a serviceable lead for the film. Apte is the one who shines with some genuine emotion and impact. Her presence in the film is what really makes the film impact when she is on screen. Ken Leung portrays Chau’s father, and his veteran presence is felt in a character who is certainly not fleshed out enough. Naveen Andrews, who spends most of his time sharing the screen with Apte) gives a strong antagonistic performance which reinforces why Apte’s presence is most felt.

Is Last Days the type of film to tackle such a complex topic like missionary work? Unfortunately, this film struggles to capture the depth and significance of such a topic. This is not The Mission or Silence. Chau’s story is a fascinating one but gets undercut by how this film is told. Lin delivers some inspired moments, like the killer opening sequence and powerful final scene. For a film that is two hours long, it never quite finds its footing.