This 2025 Biopic Will Change How You See Colonial History – Too Bad No One's Talking About It

In an era when biopics about historical figures teach viewers to love their heroes, Filipino director Lav Diaz does the opposite.

His Magellan, starring Gael García Bernal, isn't a story about the greatness of a pioneer, rather, it is an almost provocative gesture: a film devoid of romance and conventional hero imagery.

What Is 'Magellan' About?

1511, Portuguese soldier Ferdinand Magellan witnesses the bloody capture of Malacca. While his commander, Afonso de Albuquerque, revels in the glory of the conquest, the young Magellan discusses personal gain with his comrades.

Eight years later, after being rejected by the King of Portugal, Magellan enters the service of the Spanish crown. He sets out on the greatest voyage of his life, hoping to find a new route to the Spice Islands by sailing around South America.

'Magellan' Destroys the Myth of the Great Discoverer

Lav Diaz uses the biopic form to refute the idea of heroization altogether. Rather than depicting colonial expansion as a series of great achievements, Diaz presents it as a series of random decisions that lead to violence.

The director places key acts of cruelty off-screen – we only see their consequences. The main difference between Magellan and classic historical dramas, however, is the figure of Enrique de Malaca, a slave that Magellan purchased in Malacca.

The young man became the expedition's interpreter and, in one scene, recounts a long list of his masters as if revealing his scars. In the final scene, his tale of long-awaited freedom brings the cycle of oppression to a close.

'Magellan' Depicts Violence as a Disease Without Passing Moral Judgment

The desire to depict not the action itself, but its aftermath, transforms Magellan into a movie about contagion. The main character contracts a lust for power, and his companions gradually become stricken with greed and cruelty.

The natives on the islands literally catch a fever from the arriving sailors. Here, colonization is not a one-time event, but rather a slow, imperceptible, yet irreversible process, akin to an incurable disease.

At the same time, Diaz avoids moralizing or portraying Magellan as a cartoonish villain – the protagonist remains an ordinary man embedded in a system that makes violence inevitable.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Magellan'?

• Magellan has 88% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 6.6/10.

• On Letterboxd, Magellan scored 3.7/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Magellan'?

Magellan is available to rent or buy on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.