---
title: "Everest: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/everest/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/everest"
critics_score: 60
critics_reviews: 24
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): what the critics said

Critics' score 60 from 24 reviews: 9 positive, 7 mixed, 8 negative.

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.

## IndieWire — Eric Kohn

Rating B+. 2 September 2015. Festival review. 

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 the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/venice-review-thrilling-everest-is-guaranteed-to-enhance-mountain-climbing-fears-58667/)

## Radio Times — Andrew Collins

Rating 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 the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-w4xz9d/everest/)

## Time Out — Dave Calhoun

Rating 4/5. 14 September 2015. 

Calhoun presents the film as a gripping, physically immersive disaster movie. He singles out its breathless, vertigo-inducing experience near the summit.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/everest-1)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2015. Festival review. 

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 the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/everest-venice-review-819241/)

## The AV Club — Katie Rife

Rating B. 18 September 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.avclub.com/everest-will-make-you-want-to-stay-indoors-1798184898)

## RogerEbert.com — Matt Zoller Seitz

Rating 3/4. 17 September 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/everest-2015)

## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 September 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.vulture.com/2015/09/movie-review-in-everest-the-mountain-wins.html)

## Variety — Justin Chang

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2015. Festival review. 

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 the review](https://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/everest-review-venice-film-festival-1201581706/)

## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/everest-review/5092213.article)

## The New York Times

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 18 September 2015. 

The page is blocked, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. The accessible text does not identify anything the critic praised or criticized.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/18/movies/review-everest-revisits-a-fateful-adventure-in-3-d.html)

## Slant Magazine — Eric Henderson

Rating 2.5/4. 17 September 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/everest/)

## Total Film — James Mottram

Rating 3/5. 14 September 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/everest-review/)

## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 18 September 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-everest-review-20150918-column.html)

## Empire — Kim Newman

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 18 September 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/everest-review/)

## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 20 September 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/09/28/highs-and-lows)

## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 18 September 2015. 

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 the review](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

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2015. Festival review. 

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 the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/sep/02/everest-review-star-studded-adventure-proves-a-difficult-summit)

## Deadline — Pete Hammond

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2015. 

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 the review](https://deadline.com/2015/09/everest-review-jake-gyllenhaal-jason-clarke-baltasar-kormakur-1201511821/)

## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/everest-2015-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

## Den of Geek — Chiara Gabardi

Rating 2.5 out of 5. 2 September 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/everest-review/)

## The Playlist

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 16 September 2015. 

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 the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-the-human-drama-of-everest-gets-swamped-by-spectacle-20150916/)

## The Wrap — Alonso Duralde

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 2 September 2015. Festival review. 

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 the review](https://www.thewrap.com/everest-venice-review-jake-gyllenhaal-keira-knightley-josh-brolin/)

## Consequence — Blake Goble

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 16 September 2015. 

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 the review](https://consequence.net/2015/09/film-review-everest/)

## Digital Spy — Stella Papamichael

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 18 September 2015. 

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 the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a668196/everest-review-scales-the-dizzy-heights-of-a-lifetime-movie/)

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