Summit Fever

The climbing sequences are genuinely exhilarating: in monumental drone shots homing in on minuscule figures on rock faces and in blow-by-blow crag-side set pieces that demonstrate the film-makers know whereof they speak.

Summit Fever doesn’t live up to the excitement of its name and without somebody like Phillippe to hold the audience’s attention, they may not make it to the peak either.

Subtitles identify the routes which the climbers take on each occasion, and great attention is paid to accuracy, so climbers in the audience will have a lot to engage with.

The storyline and the photography made this film more enjoyable than I expected.

A tonally challenged mountaineer film about two best friends who love the thrill of the climb, but ultimately end up taking on a lot more mountain than their ice picks can handle.


Summit Fever's writer-director Julian Gilbey does a capable job of ramping up the drama for several set pieces, despite some of them clearly being shot on a modest budget.

If the astute analysis doesn’t do it for you, the breath-taking and authentic vistas are more than enough to sweep you away. A stunning achievement of drive and determination of the team, this is the perfect movie for the armchair adventurer.

Some breathtaking alpine scenery can’t offset the avalanche of cliches and contrivances in this mountaineering thriller.

Summit Fever short-changes its critique of what climbing has and continues to become.

Monotonous, vapid and exhausting while overstaying its welcome.