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The Mission

Play trailer Poster for The Mission PG 1986 2h 8m History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
62% Tomatometer 29 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Jesuit priest Father Gabriel enters the Guaraní lands in South America with the purpose of converting the natives to Christianity. He soon builds a mission, where he is joined by Rodrigo Mendoza, a reformed slave trader seeking redemption. When a treaty transfers the land from Spain to Portugal, the Portuguese government wants to capture the natives for slave labor. Mendoza and Gabriel resolve to defend the mission, but disagree on how to accomplish the task.
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The Mission

The Mission

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Critics Consensus

The Mission is a well-meaning epic given delicate heft by its sumptuous visuals and a standout score by Ennio Morricone, but its staid presentation never stirs an emotional investment in its characters.

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Audience Reviews

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John K @RT58628504 Oct 23, 2026 One of my all time favorites. See more
Red H @Redhugh Oct 10, 2026 40 years later this film remains tragically relevant and epic. A film set in a paradise with a heavenly score. Where cruel inhumanity is rife and where people struggle with fulfilling their roles against their better moral judgment.There is fervent hope, redemption and deep despair in this beautifully filmed paradise without an ounce of CGI. It is not an action film but a film about the consequences of our actions and in-actions and a cry of hope for a world not yet realised. See more
Robert P @Superbad Sep 19, 2026 The Mission = a *4* star Movie! See more
Jasmine W @jasniquejewels Aug 31, 2026 another history film staple. See more
Johannes S @johnny_cecotto_15 Jul 31, 2026 Powerful and thoughtprovoking movie. Mendoza's last glimpses are a perfect ending arc. Truly heartbreaking to watch and understand, how repugnant the treatment of colonizers towards local peoples was. See more
Joe L @Joelut Feb 8, 2026 Brilliant acting from DeNiro and Irons. Perfectly captures the ethos of the Jesuits desires and reality.. sad but true. The last scene is unforgettable and a perfect ending for the transformation of DeNiros character. By far one of my favorite movies. Piair this movie as a double feature with the documentary Exterminate all the Brutes. A realistic expose of western colonialism over the centuries.by the end you'll know why the world is so corrupt and dangerous today. See more
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The Mission

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Cast & Crew

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Roland Joffé

Director

Robert De Niro

Rodrigo Mendoza

Jeremy Irons

Gabriel

Ray McAnally

Altamirano

Liam Neeson

Fielding

Aidan Quinn

Felipe

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The Mission

Gabriel (JEREMY IRONS) leads a group of frightened natives in Warner Bros. Pictures' epic THE MISSION. Rodrigo Mendoza (ROBERT DENIRO) in Warner Bros. Pictures' epic THE MISSION. Rodrigo Mendoza (ROBERT DENIRO), Fielding (LIAM NEESON), Sebastian (DANIEL BERRIGAN), Gabriel (JEREMY IRONS), and ROLF GRAY as a young Jesuit converse with the natives in THE MISSION. (L to R:) ROBERT DENIRO as Rodrigo Mendoza, Director ROLAND JOFFE, and JEREMY IRONS on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures' epic THE MISSION. Gabriel (JEREMY IRONS) fights for his life in Warner Bros.Pictures' epic THE MISSION. Soldier Rodrigo Mendoza (ROBERT DENIRO) bears the tribal markings of the natives in Warner Bros. Pictures' epic THE MISSION. Gabriel (JEREMY IRONS) in Warner Bros. Pictures' epic THE MISSION. Director ROLAND JOFFE and ROBERT DENIRO as Rodrigo Mendoza on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures' epic THE MISSION. The Mission (1986) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Jesuit priest Father Gabriel enters the Guaraní lands in South America with the purpose of converting the natives to Christianity. He soon builds a mission, where he is joined by Rodrigo Mendoza, a reformed slave trader seeking redemption. When a treaty transfers the land from Spain to Portugal, the Portuguese government wants to capture the natives for slave labor. Mendoza and Gabriel resolve to defend the mission, but disagree on how to accomplish the task.
Director
Roland Joffé
Producer
Fernando Ghia, David Puttnam
Screenwriter
Robert Bolt
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Warner Bros., Enigma Productions, Goldcrest Films Ltd.
Rating
PG
Genre
History, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 31, 1986, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 7, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$17.2M
Runtime
2h 8m
Sound Mix
Dolby Stereo, Magnetic Stereo 6 Track, Surround, Dolby A, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio
70mm, Scope (2.35:1)
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