Everest (2015)

Goggles, hoods and frozen beards are the problem with Everest: once everyone is bundled up for the summit, it gets hard to tell who you’re watching. The film juggles two guiding teams, a journalist, a handful of clients and the families waiting at home, and some of them barely register before the weather turns. Jake Gyllenhaal’s Scott Fischer gets so little time he barely comes into focus. When it focuses, it’s gripping. Jason Clarke plays Rob Hall as a careful, kind guide trying to keep promises to his clients and his family at once. John Hawkes gives Doug Hansen a quiet longing that’s hard to watch. Emily Watson, holding the radio at base camp, carries the emotional weight. Baltasar Kormákur makes the cold and the thin air feel real without turning anyone’s suffering into a show. It made $203.4 million worldwide on a reported $55M. A 7.0 because it honors real people even when the storytelling gets crowded. $53.24 says you turn up the heat tonight, pull on the thickest socks you own, and feel quietly grateful for both.

What works: The mountain feels huge and dangerous, and Jason Clarke, John Hawkes and Emily Watson give the story real warmth.

What doesn’t: With so many climbers bundled in identical gear, several characters barely register, and the film never clearly explains how the day went so wrong.

Who it’s for: Viewers drawn to true survival stories who want a respectful, tense account rather than a thrill ride.