Lav Diaz (Venice 70: Future Reloaded), a director proclaimed as a strong practitioner of slow cinema, decided that, for his next film, he would bring his visual, hypnotic talents to the life of a legendary explorer. Part of The Criterion Collection’s Criterion Premieres selection, Diaz’s 2025 biopic Magellan follows Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (played by the magnetic Gael García Bernal) as we follow him from being a solider in Malacca to a determined adventurer on his way to cross the Pacific. Magellan is a hypnotic, challenging film in which Diaz aims to provide a unique take on the “Age of Discovery” and present an interesting, antiheroic angle on an influential figure. With images of beauty interspersed with ones of horror, this is not a film for everyone, but it is, no doubt, one of the most unique takes of rewriting myth in recent memory.
For a spoiler-free review of the film, head over to the initial theatrical release review from EoM Contributor Andrew Eisenman.
Gael García Bernal as Magellan in MAGELLAN. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
Not taking on an easy role, Bernal (Coco; Amores Perros) commands the screen as the determined Magellan, ebbing and flowing as he travels through the different eras of the man’s life. This film presents a complex portrait of the adventurer from his beginning as a solider during the “Capture of Malacca” to his time as an explorer daring to defy a king for his will to discover new land to a fierce ship leader doling out vicious punishments as necessary to a charlatan posing as a faith leader as he imposes Christianity upon a tribe. Bernal keeps his performance focused and nuanced through the different eras. In addition to Bernal’s stunning central performance, Diaz presents this story of ambition and hubris with images (or asides) that are shocking, provocative, humorous, and beautiful. In one scene, as a bedridden Magellan is treated by his future wife, Beatriz Barbosa (Ângela Azevedo), he raises his hand and Beatriz, suddenly stunned, runs away. As she catches her breath on some stairs, she feels around her stomach and crouches down in tears. A few shots later, they’re married with child. Immaculate conception? Probably not, but the aside scene is hilarious in nature. Scenes like this are contrasted with more brutal transitions. A male superior and a crew member engage in sex one night on a ship; in the next scene, punishment by way of death is doled out by Magellan himself. Then, in another scene, the axe swings down, killing the superior responsible for the act. In another scene, a tribe gathers around as a member prays to the heavens to alleviate them of repeated deaths in their group. In the next shot, blood is all over the tribe member as she cries with pain, the blood possibly coming from a sacrifice. These indelible images are what give Magellan part of its hypnotic power.
Ângela Azevedo as Beatriz Barbosa in MAGELLAN. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
Lav Diaz is a director who knows how to bring forth gorgeous dreamlike images as much as he knows how to present images of shocking violence. Within this picture, the cinematography of Diaz and Artur Tort (Pacifiction) is gorgeous. A stunning unforgettable sequence is a battle of warring ships played out across a blueish sea. As the ships blast bombs at each other, gorgeous moonlight reflects off the water that encompasses the bottom half of the shot. It’s a jaw-dropping short sequence that needs to be seen to be believed. There are sincerely shots in this film that feel like paintings in slow motion — how cinema is intended to be. However, for all of what makes this film unforgettable, its achingly slow pace could prove to be a problem for most filmgoers. Diaz’s films are not for everyone and Magellan is no exception; this is a beautiful film to look at but it’s not meant to be a pleasant experience. The antiheroic portrayal of the adventurer is meant to challenge the audience, not entertain them. Because of this outlier, this is definitely one of the more polarizing Criterion releases that may not have the biggest audience awaiting it.
On the supplemental side of this Criterion release, the list is pretty short. There’s a piece written by critic Beatrice Loayza, a “Meet the Filmmakers” piece with Diaz, and a theatrical trailer. For fans of slow, challenging cinema, this one is definitely an inspired buy.
Magellan Special Features:
- Meet the Filmmakers: Lav Diaz, a Criterion Channel original interview
- Trailer
- Notes by critic Beatrice Loayza
Available on Blu-ray and DVD June 23rd, 2026.
For more information, head to the official Janus Films Magellan webpage.
To purchase, head to the official The Criterion Collection Magellan webpage.
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Categories: Home Release, Recommendation
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