Magellan

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Magellan

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2h 36m

Biography

Drama

History

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85%

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40 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

16th century. Magellan, a young and ambitious Portuguese navigator, rebels against the power of the King, who doesn't support his dream of discovering the world. He persuades the Spanish Crown to fund his bold expedition to the fabled lands of the East. The voyage is exhausting beyond expectations, with hunger and mutiny pushing the crew to their limits. Upon reaching the islands of the Malayan Archipelago, Magellan's mind changes. He becomes obsessed with conquest and conversion, which sparks violent uprisings beyond his control. This is not the myth of Magellan, but the truth of his journey.

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Critics Consensus

Magellan blends Lav Diaz's slow cinema rigor with the biopic form to create a visually hypnotic, deliberately paced historical epic that immerses viewers in a spiritually charged meditation on power, mythology, and colonial ambition.

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Michael Andor Brodeur

Washington Post

1d

4/4

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.

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Sergio Burstein

Los Angeles Times

6d

Both true film buffs and admirers of García Bernal should know that this is an absolutely outstanding work, brilliantly filmed and eminently contemplative. [Full review in Spanish]

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Thelma Adams

AARP Movies for Grownups

Jan 9

3/5

Gael García Bernal fully inhabits the titular conquistador in a performance both present and potent, on a quest that began with optimism but ended in dire straits.

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Alex Papaioannou

InSession Film

1d

B

Magellan may think he’s the hero at the center of this film, but Magellan consistently reaffirms he’s anything but. It’s one of the many dichotomies present in the film that make this a deeply compelling watch.

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Frank Swietek

One Guy's Opinion

1d

C

The sort of film that’s easier to respect as an expression of a directorial point of view than respond to as a satisfying historical drama...the static mise-en-scène and turgid pacing can be positively suffocating.

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Mattie Lucas

From the Front Row

2d

3.5/4

Diaz seeks to reframe the ancient myths by reminding us of the soul-crushing power of buying into one's own vanity, and takes us all to hell along the way.

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Lucia S

@Love-movies Jan 15

Terrible film - director’s ego is the elephant in the film. Acting is wooden - but there’s nothing for them to do - just stare into the camera and utter some wooden dialogue while the audience is beaten over the head with an anticolonial message - which I get, but it’s a one-note drone. Nothing redeeming here. Nothing to watch.

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Ido K

@BrandStrategyGuru Jan 12

I wasn’t sure what to rate this one. I wasn’t familiar with Lav Diaz’s cinematic style, so having a Q&A with him right after the film ended helped. I appreciate the epic scale, all the work that went into it, and his cultural perspective. But I couldn’t connect to his filming style. No musical score, hardly ever using artificial lighting can be cool - plenty of filmmakers have made films that I liked that feature no musical score and only natural light. Diaz puts the camera down in one place and lets it film without cutting for anywhere from 10 seconds to five minutes. You see whoever and whatever comes into the frame and he plans it like a canvas. It makes for a very static experience. Another trait that apparently is a signature of his style is long moments of characters just sitting and not moving. It goes on for a while and like I said, without any music. What this did was create a super slow pacing that made for - sorry - a boring viewing experience.

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Vince Q.

@Vincedeq Jan 11

Knowing something about Magellan’s life and voyage will help decode this rather obsequious script. (I kept wikipedia open). A tad more dialogue would have helped set up the relationships of the (many) various players, also helping to clarify the intrigues that plagued Magellan’s voyages. Though the pacing and scene arcs were measured and airy, the film ultimately failed to capture the essence of the struggle, which is really quite compelling. Consider the length of the mission and the technology of that day. Regardless of his fate on that trip, the attempt was no less than a miracle.

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Lav Diaz

Director

Gael García Bernal

Actor

Ângela Azevedo

Actor

Amado Arjay Babon

Actor

Ronnie Lazaro

Actor

Hazel Orencio

Actor

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Synopsis

16th century. Magellan, a young and ambitious Portuguese navigator, rebels against the power of the King, who doesn't support his dream of discovering the world. He persuades the Spanish Crown to fund his bold expedition to the fabled lands of the East. The voyage is exhausting beyond expectations, with hunger and mutiny pushing the crew to their limits. Upon reaching the islands of the Malayan Archipelago, Magellan's mind changes. He becomes obsessed with conquest and conversion, which sparks violent uprisings beyond his control. This is not the myth of Magellan, but the truth of his journey.

Director: Lav Diaz
Screenwriter: Lav Diaz
Distributor: Janus Films
Production Co: Rosa Filmes, Andergraun Films, Lib Films, Black Cap Pictures
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Original Language: Portuguese
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 9, 2026, Limited
Runtime: 2h 36m