I remember looking over the edge of the Grand Canyon and thinking about how terrifying it would be to fall off. For Alex, the star climber of the documentary Free Solo, this is the danger he faces as he meticulously plans and trains to climb one of the largest and most daunting cliff faces in the world…without ropes.

Alex, with his wild goals and crazy dreams, is a fascinating athlete, and it’s impressive to see the dedication he puts towards his passion for climbing. Unfortunately, he’s severely off-putting as a human being, regularly demonstrating a lack of empathy for anything outside of climbing, which made me increasingly less interested in his personal story.

However, listening to the rest of the family, cast, and crew discuss free soloing (while they insecurely toggle between supporting Alex and being alarmingly concerned for him) is where the real emotional value in this documentary is derived.

Additionally, the documentary does a phenomenal job drumming up suspense, with breathtaking views of the El Capitan wall and the terrain that exists thousands of feet below. As Alex dangles of the edge of the cliff, it’s very likely viewers will be dangling off the edge of their seat.

Acting and Casting - 1 | Visual Effects and Editing - 2 | Story and Message - 2 | Entertainment Value - 1 | Music Score and Soundtrack - 2 | Reviewer's Preference - 1 | What does this mean?