Last Days drama movie from 2025, directed by Justin Lin and written by Ben Ripley, is about a young missionary named John Allen Chau who wants to get in touch with the Sentinelese, a group of people who live alone on North Sentinel Island in the Indian Ocean.
LAST DAYS PLOT SUMMARY
LAST DAYS tells the tragic and interesting story of John Allen Chau (Sky Yang), a young missionary who was driven by his faith to get in touch with the Sentinelese, who live in one of the world’s most remote communities. The movie starts with his fatal attempt to land on North Sentinel Island, which is met with hostility from the tribe. Going back in time, it talks about John’s preparations and his faith that he was meant to bring Christianity to the Sentinelese.
John had trouble figuring out who he was and what he was here for because his parents were Chinese-American and American. Even though his father didn’t want him to, his time at Oral Roberts University sparked a desire to work as a missionary. He goes from Oral Roberts University to the Middle East to do mission work. There, he meets Chandler (Toby Wallace) and Kayla (Ciara Bravo). He became even more passionate after training with Chandler, a seasoned missionary, and doing dangerous work in faraway places. John carefully planned for years, studying how to stay alive and how the immune system works so that he could reach the Sentinelese without putting them in danger.
John was willing to risk everything because he had faith, even though people warned him not to and attempts had failed. The tribe reportedly killed him at the end of his last visit, which was very sad. The movie looks at faith, cultural preservation, and personal responsibility through John’s diaries and a side story with Indian police officer Meera Ganali (Radhika Apte). It’s a moving and thought-provoking story about what it means to be convicted.
Read More: LAST DAYS (2025) FILMING LOCATIONS
IS “LAST DAYS” MOVIE BASED ON A TRUE STORY?
Yes, Last Days is rooted in a true story, based on the life and death of John Allen Chau. The movie is based on Alex Perry’s 2019 Outside Magazine article “The Last Days of John Allen Chau“about Chau’s dangerous mission and the events that led up to it.
In November 2018, Chau, against warnings and legal constraints, paid fishermen to take him near North Sentinel Island, where he attempted to make contact with the tribe. His efforts ended tragically when the Sentinelese killed him. While the movie takes some artistic liberties for dramatic effect, it stays true to the core facts of the real story.
Despite its deep-rooted story, LAST DAYS faced significant financial struggles during its production. In a twist of fate, actor Keanu Reeves helped Justin Lin secure the necessary funding. At TheWrap’s Sundance Studio during the 2025 Sundance Film Festival; Lin talked about how Reeves stepped in at a crucial moment.
Lin said, “Everything fell apart.” “At that point, I thought it was all going to be done. Then Keanu called, saying, ‘I want to help.’ It was inspiring.” Although Reeves doesn’t have a producer credit, he helped secure funding by leveraging his influence and making calls, motivated purely by goodwill.
A 26-year-old American named John Allen Chau felt called to share Christianity with the Sentinelese people. This tribe lives on North Sentinel Island in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. They are one of the most remote groups in the world. The Sentinelese are protected by Indian law and have had little to no contact with the outside world. They are known to be very angry when they are contacted.
Chau became interested in the tribe when he was in college. He carefully planned his mission and learned about the risks while going through survival training. Even though experts warned him not to go and the law said he couldn’t, Chau did it anyway. In November 2018, he paid some fishermen in the area to take him close to the island. Over the course of a few days, he tried to get in touch by bringing gifts like fish and a Bible. His later published diary entries show a mix of fear, determination, and spiritual faith.
The Sentinelese are said to have killed Chau on his last attempt to get to the island. The fishermen who took him there saw his body being dragged along the shore but did nothing to stop it. The Indian government chose not to get his body back because they wanted to keep the tribe’s peace and avoid more trouble.
Many people had strong opinions about Chau’s story. Some saw him as a martyr, while others said his actions were careless and disrespectful. Last Days shows these different points of view by showing John in a variety of ways and by adding fictional characters like Meera who represent the different points of view.
In the movie, Ken Leung plays Chau’s father, Patrick. Their relationship is at the heart of the story. Lin says that making Last Days has not only helped him become a better director, but also a better parent.
Lin, whose son is now 15, says, “I feel like as a parent I’m always doing things wrong,” “You don’t want him to feel pain, so you’re always trying to impart wisdom.” But what I’m learning is that they’re just not going to be ready until they’re ready.”
The movie also talks about bigger issues like preserving culture and the moral problems that come up when missionaries work. The movie gives Chau’s character more depth by showing how he struggles to be accepted by his parents as an immigrant and how strong his faith is. Director Justin Lin and writer Ben Ripley use creative ways to tell stories, like using multiple timelines and made-up situations, to show Chau’s journey in a more complete way.
Last Days is more than just a retelling of John Allen Chau’s story; it’s an interesting look at faith, ambition, and how much we can understand. The movie dramatizes some parts to make them more interesting, but they are still based on real events. Chau’s true story is a warning about how dangerous it is to force your beliefs on other people and how important it is to respect cultural differences.
You can find more information, sneak peeks, and reviews about Last Days and other interesting movies at spikytv.com.
