Free Solo (2018)

Free Solo (2018)

A fascinating character study on a free solo climber and his thrilling climb of the El Capitan wall

7.8

Movie

United States of America
English
Adventure, Documentary, Drama
2018
ELIZABETH CHAI VASARHELYI, FEMALE DIRECTOR
Alex Honnold, Jimmy Chin, Tommy Caldwell
100 min

What it's about

Follow Alex Honnold as he attempts to become the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite's 3,000 foot high El Capitan wall. With no ropes or safety gear, this would arguably be the greatest feat in rock climbing history.

The take

Alex Honnold might not be the most relatable guy ever, but his obsession with free solo climbing and his single-minded approach to life makes him so interesting. He's precisely the type of person that chooses to follow his goals, at the expense of everything else. To a certain extent, he has to be — without whole-hearted commitment to the sport, he could literally die. It’s no wonder someone decided to document his climb of Yosemite’s El Capitan wall—a wall that’s 3,000 feet high and hasn’t been free-climbed alone before. The journey is visually stunning and a technical marvel in and of itself. However, what’s most memorable about this film is the character study of Honnold: he has an indescribable instinct that outsiders could only call a death wish. His emotional detachment might make this a frustrating film to watch, but Free Solo serves as a unique portrait of a man who spits at the face of death.

Comments

Add a comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

The Resurrection of Jake The Snake (2015)

The inspiring, gritty journey of how pro wrestler Jake "The Snake" Roberts turned his life around

8.5

The Guilty (2018)

A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.

9.0

System Crasher (2019)

A tale of trauma and one of the most talked about movies on Netflix in 2020.

9.0

Leave the World Behind (2023)

Shyamalan meets Black Mirror in this hugely entertaining, visually inventive apocalyptic thriller with a killer ending

8.2

River (2023)

A delightful and ultimately life-affirming Japanese time loop comedy clearly made with love

8.8

City Hunter (2024)

Cool graphics and choreography can’t save this live-action adaptation’s hackneyed story and misogynistic humor

6.7

Spermworld (2024)

People take family planning into their own hands in this fascinating look into sperm donation online

7.3

Burning (2018)

The Complex South-Korean Award-Sweeper

7.7

Short Term 12 (2013)

Sweet, slow-moving, and possibly life-changing, this American drama shines the light on the chaos and crises of social work in America

9.9

Mister Organ (2022)

A filmmaker chases — and then struggles to escape — a shady figure in this fascinating and disturbing documentary

8.1

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.