---
title: "Everest"
year: 2015
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/everest"
fi1m_id: "everest"
imdb_id: "tt2719848"
tmdb_id: 253412
wikidata_id: "Q15631013"
fi1m_score: 61
critics_score: 60
critics_reviews: 24
published: "2026-10-05T13:49:34.334484+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-05T13:49:44.336821+00:00"
region: "AR"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Everest (2015)

Directed by Baltasar Kormákur · 2h 01m · Adventure, Drama, History

## Identity

Everest

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/everest
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** everest
- **IMDb ID:** tt2719848
- **TMDB ID:** 253412
- **Wikidata ID:** Q15631013
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2719848/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/253412, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15631013

**Fi1m score: 61** · Critics 60 from 24 reviews

*In a sentence:* A dozen people in oxygen masks and goggles, and the mountain is the only one we could pick out of a line-up

> Baltasar Kormákur’s account of the 1996 Everest disaster puts a real mountain on the screen and makes us feel the cold. But it climbs with too many people, and by the time the storm arrives we cannot always tell them apart.

## Synopsis

Spring 1996. Rob Hall (Jason Clarke), who guides paying clients up Everest, leaves his pregnant wife Jan (Keira Knightley) in New Zealand and flies to Kathmandu to meet this season’s party: Beck Weathers (Josh Brolin), a Texan doctor; Doug Hansen (John Hawkes), a postman who turned back short of the summit the year before; and Jon Krakauer (Michael Kelly), a journalist writing the climb up for a magazine. At Base Camp, Helen Wilton (Emily Watson) runs the radios, and the mountain is crowded with rival outfits, one of them led by Scott Fischer (Jake Gyllenhaal). Hall’s method is caution: acclimatise slowly, turn around at two o’clock. The clients cross crevasses in the Khumbu Icefall on aluminium ladders, and the forecast for summit day, 10 May, is still anyone’s guess.

## Review

Baltasar Kormákur’s film is about the spring of 1996 on Everest, when two commercial expeditions put their paying clients on the summit on the same afternoon and a storm caught them on the way down. The screenplay, by William Nicholson and Simon Beaufoy, blames nobody in particular and lets everybody share a little of it: the guides who bent their own rules, the clients who would not turn back, the weather, the queue. It is a sober, decently made film with a real mountain in it. It is also spread across so many people that when the worst comes we are working out who is where rather than fearing for them.

The mountain is the film’s best performer. Salvatore Totino shoots the approach in long, high, wide frames, the climbers a line of coloured dots on a wall of white, so that the scale is never in doubt. Gary Freeman’s Base Camp is a shanty town of yellow tents, cables and prayer flags, and the Hillary Step, when we reach it, is a queue of people on one rope with nothing on either side. When the clients cross a crevasse in the Khumbu Icefall on aluminium ladders lashed end to end, in crampons, with the rungs flexing under each step, we sat with our hands under our thighs. It is the one stretch where the danger is in the frame rather than the dialogue. Dario Marianelli’s score stays out of the way until the views, which can bear it.

Jason Clarke plays Rob Hall as a careful, courteous man who learns his clients’ first names and uses them. He is the film’s spine and he carries it without raising his voice. Emily Watson, at the radio in Base Camp, does the arithmetic of oxygen bottles and daylight, and her face when a call goes unanswered does more than any line in the script. Josh Brolin’s Beck Weathers arrives as Texan bluster and shows us the fear under it early enough that we care. John Hawkes makes Doug Hansen, the postman who scraped together the money for a second attempt, the client we most want to see on top. Jake Gyllenhaal’s Scott Fischer, ponytail and beer, thinks Hall is too cautious, and is on screen for perhaps a quarter of the film.

Which is the trouble. There are twelve names in the cast list, and once the climbers go above the South Col they all wear the same thing: oxygen mask, goggles, hood, and a down suit from Guy Speranza whose colour is the only clue to who is inside. In the storm even the colour goes. Mick Audsley cuts between the ridge, the camps below, Base Camp, a house in Christchurch where Keira Knightley waits by a telephone and a house in Texas where Robin Wright waits by another, and the cutting is clear enough. It is the scenes at home that are thin; each woman is given a phone and an expression, and the complaint most reviews have made about that is fair. When the wind arrived we were frightened, properly. Then we noticed we had stopped being frightened for anyone in particular and were checking jackets to keep the roster straight, which is not what the film wanted from us.

The Sherpas, who fixed the ropes and carried the oxygen everyone else is seen using, are at the edge of nearly every frame and the centre of none. Michael Kelly’s Jon Krakauer, whose book about these events is the one most of the audience will have read, spends much of the film being told things.

Kormákur’s own *The Deep* (2012) put one man in the North Atlantic in winter and did not look away. [*Touching the Void*](https://film.one/film/touching-the-void) (2003) managed the same with two men and a rope. *Everest* has a dozen people and keeps looking from one to the next, which is honest about what happened and fatal to what we feel.

See it on the largest screen you can find, where Totino’s wide shots do their work. At home the mountain shrinks to the size of the television and the faces get no easier to tell apart. It runs 121 minutes and carries a 12A, which is about right: it will frighten a twelve-year-old without showing them anything they will regret.

*Fi1m score 61, published 5 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews split almost down the middle. Where critics agree is on the mountain itself: most find the summit sequences physically immersive, with the large-format imagery and sound design making the cold, the ladders and the drops feel immediate rather than scenic. Several single out individual performances, with Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin and Emily Watson each named as giving the drama what warmth it has.

The reservations cluster on the people rather than the peak. A clear majority say the ensemble is too crowded, the characterisation thin and the emotional pull distant, and more than one critic notes that the Sherpa guides and the women at base camp are underserved. The spread is wide, running from Deadline’s warm endorsement to the Guardian and Evening Standard, who find it subdued and confused. Digital Spy and Consequence go further, denying the film even its main virtue by arguing it never conveys the mountain’s scale or danger.

## Straight answers

**Is Everest worth watching?**

*Everest* is worth an evening for anyone who wants a real mountain on screen and will forgive a crowded cast, and we scored it 61. Salvatore Totino's wide shots and the ladder crossing in the Khumbu Icefall are frightening in the right way. Once the storm arrives, though, a dozen climbers in identical masks and goggles become hard to tell apart, and our fear stops attaching to anyone in particular.

**How long is Everest, and what is it rated?**

*Everest* runs 2h 01m. It is an adventure and drama film.

**Where can I watch Everest in Argentina?**

*Everest* is streaming on HBO Max in Argentina, and it is also available to rent from Apple TV from AR$3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Everest, and is it suitable for children?**

*Everest* carries a 12A certificate and shows no gore or sex; its frights come from height, cold and a storm that catches people on the way down. We found the crevasse crossing and the wind on the ridge properly alarming. It will frighten a twelve-year-old without showing them anything they will regret, and it is about people dying, which parents of younger children should weigh.

**How does Everest compare to Touching the Void?**

*Everest* is the bigger film and [*Touching the Void*](https://film.one/film/touching-the-void) is the more frightening one. Kevin Macdonald's documentary has two men and a rope and never looks away, so the danger stays fixed on faces we know; Baltasar Kormákur's drama spreads itself across a dozen clients and guides and keeps cutting between them. See *Everest* for scale on a large screen, and *Touching the Void* for suspense you feel in your hands.

**What should I watch after Everest?**

After *Everest*, try [*Touching the Void*](https://film.one/film/touching-the-void) (2003, Fi1m 87): Two men, one rope, and a documentary more frightening than most thrillers. Then [*127 Hours*](https://film.one/film/127-hours) (2010, Fi1m 81): Beaufoy’s other script about a body in the wrong place, with one man and no queue.

### Reviews we read (24)

- **IndieWire**, Eric Kohn (B+): Kohn finds Everest a gripping, technically accomplished survival thriller, though it struggles to develop its large ensemble and largely overlooks Sherpa culture. He especially praises the visceral IMAX-scale mountain imagery and sound design for making the climb’s danger palpable. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/venice-review-thrilling-everest-is-guaranteed-to-enhance-mountain-climbing-fears-58667/)
- **Radio Times**, Andrew Collins (4/5): Collins presents the film as an ambitious, gripping mountaineering thriller. He praises the clear staging of the climbers’ journey and the screenplay’s contribution. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-w4xz9d/everest/)
- **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun (4/5): Calhoun presents the film as a gripping, physically immersive disaster movie. He singles out its breathless, vertigo-inducing experience near the summit. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/everest-1)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy (78/100, inferred): McCarthy finds the film an intense, involving, and appropriately tragic dramatization, praising its immersive visuals and humanized characters. He also singles out its realistic detail, while wishing the Sherpa guides had more prominence. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/everest-venice-review-819241/)
- **The AV Club**, Katie Rife (B): Rife finds the film thrilling but ultimately more punishingly sad than illuminating about why climbing Everest is worthwhile. She praises its sweeping mountain vistas and effective IMAX-scale images, while noting that the climbers’ suffering overshadows the mountain’s majesty. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/everest-will-make-you-want-to-stay-indoors-1798184898)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Matt Zoller Seitz (3/4): The review finds the film gripping and visually impressive, though somewhat workmanlike. It praises the striking mountain imagery while noting that the drama feels emotionally distant. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/everest-2015)
- **Vulture**, Bilge Ebiri (70/100, inferred): Ebiri finds the film an intimate, quietly devastating disaster story rather than a grand mountaineering epic. He praises how Kormákur keeps the characters in frame, making the mountain’s menace feel immediate. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2015/09/movie-review-in-everest-the-mountain-wins.html)
- **Variety**, Justin Chang (65/100, inferred): Chang finds the film a grueling, unsentimental account of the 1996 disaster, though its execution is more competent than inspired. He praises the actors and the propulsive cross-cutting, while criticizing the thin characterization and limited visual lingering. [Read](https://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/everest-review-venice-film-festival-1201581706/)
- **Screen Daily**, Tim Grierson (64/100, inferred): The review's verdict cannot be determined from the visible page. Its praise or criticism is likewise unavailable because the review text is behind a paywall. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/everest-review/5092213.article)
- **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The page is blocked, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. The accessible text does not identify anything the critic praised or criticized. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/18/movies/review-everest-revisits-a-fateful-adventure-in-3-d.html)
- **Slant Magazine**, Eric Henderson (2.5/4): Henderson finds the film a tasteful, sweeping, carefully balanced disaster epic that avoids passing flat judgments. He praises its reconciliation of nature’s authority with humanity’s urge to defy it. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/everest/)
- **Total Film**, James Mottram (3/5): The review finds the film visually stunning but says it never reaches the emotional heights it needs. It singles out the mountain cinematography and Emily Watson’s performance for praise, while criticizing the thin characterization and less effective second half. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/everest-review/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (50/100, inferred): Turan finds the film visually stunning but confusing and not consistently involving. He praises its spectacular mountain vistas while criticizing the standard script and crowded cast of characters. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-everest-review-20150918-column.html)
- **Empire**, Kim Newman (40/100, inferred): Newman finds the film spectacular and well acted, but says its drama loses force amid too many characters and storylines. He praises the imposing mountain imagery while faulting the overcrowded focus that leaves individual stories obscured. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/everest-review/)
- **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (40/100, inferred): Lane finds the film overcrowded and emotionally implacable, though its tragedy has plenty of compelling material. He singles out the climbers’ perilous ladder crossing as almost unbearable to watch, especially in 3-D. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/09/28/highs-and-lows)
- **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (35/100, inferred): O'Sullivan finds the film exciting at times but ultimately a missed opportunity, with a shallow and confusing account of the tragedy. She praises the spectacular Himalayan imagery while criticizing the film's omissions, including its treatment of the Sherpas and women. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/everest-film-review-it-s-a-tough-slog-to-get-to-the-top-a2950781.html)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (30/100, inferred): Bradshaw finds the film frustrating and subdued, with little of the suspense its disaster story promises. He criticizes its scattered focus and especially the thin, limp roles given to the women. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/sep/02/everest-review-star-studded-adventure-proves-a-difficult-summit)
- **Deadline**, Pete Hammond (90/100, inferred): Hammond calls the film a terrific, big-screen adventure and a strong example of ambitious moviemaking. He especially praises its stunning Imax and 3D presentation and the human focus on the climbers. [Read](https://deadline.com/2015/09/everest-review-jake-gyllenhaal-jason-clarke-baltasar-kormakur-1201511821/)
- **Eye for Film**, Angus Wolfe Murray (85/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a gripping visual spectacle, despite some product placement and emotional excess. The sweeping mountain imagery and the drama of the expedition earn particular praise. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/everest-2015-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)
- **Den of Geek**, Chiara Gabardi (2.5 out of 5): Gabardi finds the film disappointing, saying it fails to reach its potential as either a blockbuster or an introspective drama. She singles out Jason Clarke’s restrained, moving performance as Rob Hall for praise. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/everest-review/)
- **The Playlist** (40/100, inferred): The review suggests the film’s human drama is overwhelmed by its spectacle. It singles out the spectacle as the element that swamps the human story. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/review-the-human-drama-of-everest-gets-swamped-by-spectacle-20150916/)
- **The Wrap**, Alonso Duralde (35/100, inferred): The critic finds the film an unsatisfying docudrama, burdened by too many characters, though its perilous moments provide real thrills. The cinematography’s vertiginous IMAX imagery is singled out for praise. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/everest-venice-review-jake-gyllenhaal-keira-knightley-josh-brolin/)
- **Consequence**, Blake Goble (30/100, inferred): Goble finds the film competent and well-cast but ultimately staid, superficial, and unconvincing. He particularly faults its failure to convey the mountain’s danger and grandeur. [Read](https://consequence.net/2015/09/film-review-everest/)
- **Digital Spy**, Stella Papamichael (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the film underwhelming, describing it as little more than a standard Lifetime movie. Josh Brolin’s grounded performance is singled out for praise, while the muddled storytelling and weak sense of the mountain’s scale draw criticism. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a668196/everest-review-scales-the-dizzy-heights-of-a-lifetime-movie/)

## Details

- **Director:** Baltasar Kormákur
- **Director:** Baltasar Kormákur
- **Screenplay:** Simon Beaufoy, William Nicholson
- **Cinematography:** Salvatore Totino
- **Editor:** Mick Audsley
- **Music:** Dario Marianelli
- **Production design:** Gary Freeman
- **Costume design:** Guy Speranza
- **Producer:** Evan Hayes, Nicky Kentish Barnes, Tim Bevan
- **Cast:** Jason Clarke as Rob Hall; Josh Brolin as Beck Weathers; Jake Gyllenhaal as Scott Fischer; Elizabeth Debicki as Caroline Mackenzie; Keira Knightley as Jan Arnold; Sam Worthington as Guy Cotter; Robin Wright as Peach Weathers; Emily Watson as Helen Wilton
- **Runtime:** 2h 01m
- **Release (Argentina):** 16 September 2015
- **Genres:** Adventure, Drama, History
- **Budget:** $55 million
- **Box office:** $203 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CKZwKpV06U

## Where to watch in Argentina

- HBO Max: streaming
- Apple TV: rent AR$3.99, hd
- Apple TV: buy AR$7.99, sd

*Checked 2026-10-05.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Touching the Void* (2003), Fi1m 87: Two men, one rope, and a documentary more frightening than most thrillers. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/touching-the-void.md)
- *The Deep* (2012): Kormákur’s earlier survival film: one Icelandic fisherman in freezing sea, and it never looks away.
- *North Face* (2008): Germans and Austrians on the Eiger in 1936, and the cold is the villain.
- *127 Hours* (2010), Fi1m 81: Beaufoy’s other script about a body in the wrong place, with one man and no queue. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/127-hours.md)
- *Meru* (2015): Three climbers filming their own attempt on a Himalayan wall; the fear is first-hand.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/everest