Film Review: Free Solo

Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin’s new documentary Free Solo is a thrilling look at the most dangerous form of climbing through the eyes of Alex Honnold, one of the most accomplished free climbers of all time. The film follows Honnold as he attempts to scale the daunting El Capitan rock formation in Yosemite National Park without the use of ropes or protective gear. Glib psychoanalysis periodically threatens to sap the film’s energy, but every second focused on Honnold’s daredevil ascent is breathtaking and gut-wrenching, transforming it into one of the best documentaries of the year. Minor spoilers ahead…