Rating: 4/5
This film depicts the real events of a Kiwi company, Adventure Consultants, and its disastrous expedition to Mount Everest. Based on Rob Hall’s 1996 trip, Everest follows Rob (Jason Clarke) as he leads eight climbers through Nepal towards the highest peak on earth. Another group, run by a company called Mountain Madness, is also heading towards the summit. As climbers eventually reach the top, several delays and extreme weather conditions lead to chaos. As they all attempt to get down safely, the climbers begin to battle oxygen deprivation and exhaustion, and several die.
Everest features an ensemble cast stacked with Hollywood heavyweights like Josh Brolin, Michael Kelly and Jake Gyllenhaal in central character roles and Keira Knightley and Robin Wright making cameo appearances. Despite the acting chops that these stars bring to the narrative, the film surprisingly feels half an hour too short.
Although Everest is action-packed and cinematically impressive, these qualities dominate the film, leaving little room for the audience to develop ties to the characters. A character introduction would typically frame an action disaster like this, and Everest’s characters suffer from a lack of initial storytelling. The high-altitude events escalate quickly, and the audience struggles to keep track of who is who under their goggles and snow gear. This confusion creates a barrier between the characters and the audience, especially when the cast begin to struggle and perish in the extreme conditions. Despite this flaw, the screen time that did focus on individual characters allowed the actors to convincingly portray people attempting the near impossible.
In Everest, the director doesn’t overdo the drama, nor does he vilify any one individual for these tragic events. Everest is a story of human desire to achieve the impossible and the spirit to survive at all costs. But it also reminds us that sometimes nature is too tough to beat.