Movie · 2015 · Adventure, Drama, History · 2h 1m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 3.7/10 (436.2K ratings)
The storm awaits.
Overview
Inspired by the incredible events surrounding a treacherous attempt to reach the summit of the world's highest mountain, "Everest" documents the awe-inspiring journey of two different expeditions challenged beyond their limits by one of the fiercest snowstorms ever encountered by mankind. Their mettle tested by the harshest of elements found on the planet, the climbers will face nearly impossible obstacles as a lifelong obsession becomes a breathtaking struggle for survival.
Ratings
Curator score: 3.7/10
IMDb: 7.1/10
Letterboxd: 3.25/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 73%
Metacritic: 64
TMDB: 6.8/10
Director
Baltasar Kormákur
Production
Cross Creek Pictures, Working Title Films, Walden Media, RVK Studios, Universal Pictures, Free State Pictures
Cast
Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, Jake Gyllenhaal, Elizabeth Debicki, Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington, Robin Wright, Emily Watson, John Hawkes, Michael Kelly, Clive Standen, Martin Henderson, Vanessa Kirby, Kumud Pant, Thomas M. Wright, Naoko Mori, Mia Goth, Tom Goodman-Hill, Mark Derwin, Ingvar E. Sigurðsson
Where to watch
Netflix, History Vault, Netflix Standard with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A tense, large-scale survival disaster film that works best as a spectacle of endurance and dread. It’s less about heroic conquest than about the cost of obsession, with strong ensemble work and striking mountain imagery carrying the emotional impact.
Best for
survival-disaster fans
viewers who like true-story survival dramas
audiences drawn to harsh natural spectacle
fans of ensemble-cast thrillers
Skip if
you want deep character psychology over event-driven storytelling
you’re not interested in disaster movies
you dislike bleak, high-stress survival narratives
you prefer tightly focused single-protagonist dramas
Overview
Everest is built as a pressure-cooker disaster film, and it understands that the mountain itself is the star. The movie leans into scale, weather, and physical vulnerability, creating a constant sense that every decision is being made under impossible conditions. It’s often more effective as an experience than as a character study, but the experience is formidable.
Worth noting
What gives it staying power is the balance between awe and punishment. The cinematography sells the grandeur of the climb, while the script keeps returning to the human cost behind the ambition. The ensemble approach means no single performance dominates, but the cast gives the tragedy enough weight to feel personal.
Bottom line
If you like survival stories that are less about triumph than about respect for nature’s indifference, this lands well. It can feel a little procedural at times, yet that grounded approach helps the film avoid becoming purely sensational. The result is a solid, sometimes harrowing disaster drama with real visual force.
Top Letterboxd reviews
matt lynch (3★) · 1654 likes
Idiots.
cláudio!!! (2.5★) · 1531 likes
i will never understand people that climb mountains.... it's literally a big fucking rock..... go hug your father or something
lauren (3★) · 945 likes
at one point jake gyllenhaal’s character is told he looks horrible and i really needed that laugh
theyo theyo (3★) · 906 likes
it's so weird seeing mia goth play a normal person.
ava adore (5★) · 698 likes
There's this part in this dumb movie where Jake Gyllenhaal summits and he literally just touches the tip of the mountain and it's the most beautiful shot I've ever seen in my life
2005 · Adventure, Horror · 1h 40m · R · Curator 5.5/10 (701.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Philo
A claustrophobic survival horror film that shares the same escalating panic and physical ordeal.
Topics
survival drama, disaster film, mountaineering, based on true events, nature vs humanity, ensemble cast, harrowing, high-altitude, adventure, historical drama