What is it with wild documentaries this month?
After the release of the mega-hit You Can See Everything and the extensive dive into the world of Musk, it feels like there’s been an avalanche of films in October that have challenged our expectations of what documentary storytelling can do. Now, NatGeo has thrown their hat into the ring as well with the release of Everest: The Other Side, another stunning doc that pushes the boundaries of the genre in unexpected directions.
Directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, Everest: The Other Side tells the story of Jim Morrison and Hilaree Nelson, two elite ski mountaineers who fall in love as they reach the pinnacle of their sport. As they build their family together, the two begin to dream big. And that dream leads them to climb and ski the North Face of Mt. Everest, the most difficult and dangerous climb on the mountain.
Jim Morrison climbs with a team member behind him. (credit: National Geographic/Leo Hoorn)
Which is why no one has done it before.
Only a handful of climbers have ever made it to the summit of the world’s most famous peak and skiing down it seems like a mad pipe dream. Yet the duo are determined and they stake everything they have to be the first to take on this daunting challenge.
With Everest, Vasarhelyi and Chin repeat their Oscar-winning magic of Free Solo without ever feeling like they’re entirely repeating the process. While both films feature stunning footage with intriguing and borderline-reckless characters, the two stories lean in very different directions. In Solo, the duo focused their lens on climber Alex Honnold’s psychological abnormalities and his wafer-thin grasp of risk aversion. But Nelson and Morrison are exactly the opposite. Married and caring for Nelson’s two pre-teen sons, both climbers are very aware of the potential risks that lie in accepting in their mission.
Hilaree Nelson, a National Geographic Explorer and the 2018 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year. For years, Jim Morrison planned to ski the Hornbein Couloir with his life partner, Hilaree Nelson. But Nelson tragically passed away in September 2022. Morrison completed that ski on October 15, 2025 and dedicated it to Nelson. (credit: Credit: Cavan Images / Alamy Stock Photo)
They simply just believe that they’re worth it.
As the duo embark on their quest for immortality, one cannot help but fall in love with them. There is a genuine connection between them that’s infectious. From raising teenagers to skiing the most dangerous heights, they truly believe that they can accomplish anything if they attempt it together. And you can feel that affection onscreen.
Even so, Everest is also keenly aware of the dangers of traversing the iconic peaks. Forget skiing. Simply climbing the North Face of Mt. Everest is fraught with peril. And Vasarhelyi and Chin refuse to let us forget it. Visually, the film consistently wows the viewer with the massive scale of its surroundings. Every wide shot emphasizes the minute size of its characters as they’re pitted against some of nature’s most stunning mountains. (For what it’s worth, there’s a reason that it’s being shown in IMAX.) At the same time, close ups feel intensely personal, allowing Morrison, Nelson and their crew’s reactions to feel visceral. In doing so, Everest is embedded with an impending dread, reminding us that these characters are always at the mercy of nature’s fury.
World-renowned ski mountaineer Jim Morrison climbs Mount Everest. (credit: Jimmy Chin)
In that spirit, Everest is very much an exercise in walking the line between courage and chaos. With everything at stake, the viewer cannot help but question their drive. Yes, they seem to have the skills and abilities to make their dream a reality… but should they? Knowing that their lives can be lost in a moment, they still soldier on with the goal firmly on the horizon. They love their boys but simply cannot shake their need to do the impossible.
Yet, there’s also no denying that Everest is fueled by an undeniable hopefulness that pervades the film. With every challenge that their family faces, Morrison and Nelson embrace them, never fearing what’s ahead. There’s an admirable quality about them that proves genuinely inspirational, especially when things go wrong.
Jim Morrison climbs Everest. (mandatory credit: Jimmy Chin)
It’s worth noting as well that Everest doesn’t unravel in the way that you may expect. Without giving any spoilers, this truly is a harrowing experience as the film zigs when you think it’s going to zag. To say more would ruin the emotional impact but remember, filming someone’s story in real time can be unpredictable, to say the least. So, scale the heights of Everest at your own risk.
But I assure you that it’s absolutely a risk worth taking.
Everest is available in theatres on Friday, May 9th.
