Justin Lin is known for his high-octane action flicks, primarily as part of the Fast & Furious franchise. But his career took off with a low-key effort, 2002’s Better Luck Tomorrow, an indie crime drama about the lives of bored Asian American teens in California. After many years away, Lin went back to his roots with Last Days, based on the fascinating true story of John Allen Chau, an evangelical missionary who in 2018 was killed attempting a deadly crusade to spread his Christian faith to the isolated Sentinelese tribe, breaking international law in the process.
The film stars Sky Yang as Chau, and follows his tragic journey along with the global manhunt to find him before he can make contact with the dangerous tribe. Although a smaller indie effort, Lin had the support of some of the crew from his blockbuster projects, such as editor Dylan Highsmith and cinematographer Oliver Bokelberg. Still, this was a challenging but rewarding film for Lin.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Justin Lin about Last Days. We discussed the continued interest in John Allen Chau’s story, Lin’s return to indie filmmaking and the challenges that came with it, and so much more.
Last Days is in theaters now. Check out the interview below and please consider subscribing to our channel!
