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Free Solo

Free Solo

2018
Documentary
1h 40m
Follow Alex Honnold as he becomes the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite's 3,000ft high El Capitan Wall. With no ropes or safety gear, he completed arguably the greatest feat in rock climbing history. (imdb)
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Free Solo

2018
Documentary
1h 40m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 69.16% from 917 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(917)
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Rated 12 Feb 2019
7
57th
Despite the filmmakers' best efforts in making Honnold a somewhat relatable character, there's still a part of his inner self that will always remain inscrutably veiled from the outside world. Even his free-solo ascent feels more like a self-seeking endeavour and less like an awe-inspiring feat of artistic merit (cf. Man on Wire). But, damn, do I still have massive respect for what he did.
Rated 19 Feb 2019
84
88th
If there was ever a formula for great movies, it's documentaries about people on incredible feats along with their underlying absurd/destructive/damaged motivations and personalities brought to focus. This is one of the better examples you'll see.
Rated 05 Mar 2019
90
97th
Rarely, if ever, have I been so caught up in a documentary ('Grizzly Man' springs to mind). Like Timothy Treadwell, the weird Honnold is a perfect subject, and both his preparation for the insanely dangerous climb and the climb itself are tense, exciting, expertly documented by the filmmakers and made no less dramatic by the poignant scenes we've witnessed between Honnold and his girlfriend. Though they're only touched upon somewhat briefly, the ethical questions are the icing on the cake.
Rated 23 Oct 2018
95
97th
I came in knowing a bit about Alex - having watched his piece from 60 Minutes - and I was a bit skeptical I'd enjoy it as much as other people. Could not have been more wrong. Caught myself multiple times with my mouth open. My palms were sweaty. Wanted to clap at a couple points in the movie. I loved the bleep out of this movie, and I really appreciated the meta conversation of the filmmakers grappling with the ethics of their project.
Rated 09 Feb 2019
84
84th
Cool, cool, awe inducing cool. I enjoy climbing, well bouldering, and have seen and heard a bit of Alex Honnold in the past so this was keenly anticipated. However, two gripes holding the score back significantly: 1 don’t put music over EVERYTHING in his free solo footage and 2. LINGER on a point of his free solo climb. Honestly I would find it thrilling to watch the entire footage of his climb, but at least give us 5-10min of privileged bliss into his solo world without camera cuts or music.
Rated 14 Feb 2019
83
86th
Free Solo is the product of awe-inspiring achievements in both free climbing and filmmaking. I am conflicted if such a death-defying stunt should even be celebrated, but I commend the film for not shying away from that topic and for interrogating the motivations of both Honnold and his crew. As a cinephile who is also afraid of heights, I recommend seeing this on either the biggest or the smallest screen possible.
Rated 14 Feb 2019
84
80th
my hands have been made sweaty
Rated 03 Mar 2019
76
69th
Speaking as a timid acrophobe & overall clumsy slouch this was a truly exhilarating cinema experience of nerve-wrecking awe. These people are nuts. As a direct documentation of a historic feat this film boasts rare intrinsic value. It also opens a lot of interesting angles to the whole project like personal biographies, ethics & planning involved. Sadly it finds little time to focus on any of them & even the actual climb was cut too short to really give an intimate impression of the performance.
Rated 27 Jun 2021
80
80th
Well made and he's obviously insane. Everything about him was interesting, but the best part was getting to see the effects it had on everyone else there.
Rated 06 Jun 2019
83
83rd
This is not the masturbation film we all thought it was supposed to be
Rated 16 Nov 2018
40
38th
Man sees the unclimbable wall. Man painstakingly plans to climb the unclimbable wall. Man climbs the unclimbable wall. Honestly it was okay at the time, There was a perverse wonder if we'd see him fall to his death. But I'd never want to see it again.
Rated 18 Feb 2019
90
94th
Incredible movie about an incredible feat. Beautiful, scary, awe inspiring.
Rated 15 Dec 2019
50
41st
This guy's kind of annoying, isn't he?
Rated 31 Jan 2019
68
71st
Solid rock.
Rated 24 Mar 2019
61
54th
Fuxk free solo, what was that man in bunny suit doing up there?!
Rated 15 Oct 2018
80
57th
Arguably the most exhaustion I've ever felt in theater, but something that is extremely insightful. Incredible time/passion can really push human limits when a dream is set. Alex shows how grounded he is through his callous personality, even though relationships and love do tend to open us up, making me enjoy this adventure even more.
Rated 11 Mar 2019
83
67th
A great documentation of an awe-inspiring, unbelievable feat, and I loved that it didn’t shy away from showing Honnold’s flaws and questioning his decision. Now hopefully he takes a step back and lets his girlfriend pursue her dreams for a while because damn I felt so bad for her
Rated 15 Mar 2020
87
79th
The guy is a bit of a jerk, but he seems genuinely insane and this was definitely a fascinating documentary.
Rated 05 Feb 2020
95
96th
What's to be said? Watching a man who has a compulsion to scale sheer cliff faces with NO safety rope is riveting to say the least. There's also striking cinematography which uses drones to take photography I've never seen before. Rarely has nature looked so lush or heights so high. It's also interesting to find out more about the psychology and background of what drives this guy and it actually kind of provides an answer for his insanity. The last 20 minutes are viscerally suspenseful.
Rated 17 Feb 2019
95
99th
Amazing! What a beautiful film celebrating a breathtaking achievement. The visuals are stunning, I was sitting on the edge of my seat during every climb, and Alex is a fascinating person.
Rated 28 Feb 2019
75
89th
This was good, really good. I knew that he had achieved the feat, but still, that last climb.. My hands were sweating for the first time in my life. Although the documentary makes you feel like he was not ready when he did the attempt. He is a weird character compared to others but the documentary also shows how his upbringing affected the rest of his life. It was also good at showing how it affected other arround him.
Rated 03 Mar 2019
50
52nd
An unremarkable documentary about a remarkable feat.
Rated 10 Mar 2019
18
27th
A sociopath climbs a mountain and lives to tell about it. Maybe it's a big deal in the world of rock climbing but I wasn't terribly interested. I think we were all kinda hoping he'd fall. At least then there'd be a story. Unfortunately, I Googled him about half way through and realized it was going to be one of those feel-good, motivational movies. Fuck that. Academy Awards are for bores.
Rated 21 Mar 2019
70
58th
really gripping character-piece with the depth of stakes unlike most films ever made, but... anyone else see Lukas Haas (Inception, Widows) the whole time?
Rated 21 Feb 2020
88
83rd
This movie is such an anxiety attack. That's entirely what makes it so good.
Rated 12 May 2020
50
20th
The climbing feats performed by Alex Honnold are near-superhuman and the footage of them is extraordinary. But, when he's not on the rock face, the traits that make him the world's best free soloist don't necessarily make him a compelling documentary subject. He's a likeable guy, though, and he shows a surprising amount of self-awareness. The climbing scenes are enough to induce vertigo and the film builds some tension, though the final triumph is never really in doubt.
Rated 08 Sep 2020
76
80th
A pretty _gripping_ documentary. It tackles some of the familiar territory of the psyche that comes with achieving a superhuman feat like this. It is also really interesting to see the filmmakers struggle with the ethics of even trying to make the film in the first place. I do wish there had been a little more "raw" footage of the climb itself.
Rated 02 Jan 2021
40
13th
Pretty bland in terms of character development, not so engaging in terms of editing and sometimes truly breathtaking. It would be nice to watch it as just a sports documentary. But we can't take off the equation the fact that filmmakers and Nat Geo just give this guy an "evil genius" pass to show how just totally shitty he is. Anyway, the whole thing also serves a an exposé.
Rated 03 Sep 2019
86
62nd
B+
Rated 16 Mar 2019
65
61st
Yosemite looking good
Rated 01 Apr 2019
74
50th
Thrilling in some parts, somewhat drags in others.
Rated 09 Dec 2019
75
40th
A nice look but the movie focused too much about the surrounding cast, not enough about the climb or Alex himself which were the more interesting parts of the story.
Rated 27 Dec 2019
92
97th
RIP MS. The first movie I think I've ever seen where my feet started sweating. There's some Werner Herzog irony in here screaming to get out...but doesn't. Maybe it's for the best.
Rated 02 Jan 2019
100
0th
Watched: 29 December 2018. Cinema. My last cinema trip of 2018 to see this totally incredible film which follows Alex Honnold in his attempt to climb El Capitan in Yosemite National Park without ropes or safety gear. Brilliantly filmed, incredibly tense. Highly Recommended.
Rated 02 Jan 2019
90
91st
Probably some of the best climbing footage ever collected, plus a well told story (featuring some of the most famous climbers alive).
Rated 13 Feb 2019
83
75th
My feet were sweating.
Rated 22 Feb 2019
87
78th
Portrait of arguably unhinged insanity handles the climbing sequences brilliantly - certainly placing it within the pantheon of most viscerally nerve jangling documentary footage ever committed to film. The sheer awe inspiring nature of Honnold's achievement, and the power of the film-making, easily compensate for a certain pat vacuousness of the behind-the-scenes moments (which have a suspiciously staged, reality TV feel to them), compounded by the utter inscrutability of Honnold himself.
Rated 25 Feb 2019
80
84th
My hands have never sweated so much during a movie. Free Solo is about Alex Honnold, a man who is singularly focused on climbing El Capitan – a 900-meter wall of rock that claimed over 30 lives – without any protective gear. The execution of Free Solo is downright amazing. It's beautifully shot, it's empathic towards its subject and the people around him, and it's very concerned with the ethics of documenting (and potentially distracting) a climber during his most challenging ascent.
Rated 02 Mar 2019
70
88th
A documentary designed to have you muttering "he's fucking mental" every few minutes achieves its aim with flying colours. And he might be - the most fascinating aspect of the production not being the vertigo-inducing camerawork but a look into the mind of somebody who needs this kind of ultimate thrill to get through their life. His girlfriend's hopeful optimism that he'll pack it all in now he's achieved this is brilliant, and shows she understands him as little as we do.
Rated 02 Mar 2019
100
99th
i was kind of scared to watch this movie, i was procrastinating by watching other movies for some 3 weeks after having downloaded it which i could after having waiting 2 months to download it.
Rated 09 Mar 2019
60
62nd
Breathtaking. Knowing ahead of time that he made it didn't ease the tension. With all the buildup, the final climb seemed too short. I wish they showed more of the climb; maybe it'll be a bonus feature somewhere. Girlfriend wasn't really shown in a sympathetic light, but Alex didn't treat her that great either. Fav scene: final climb.
Rated 13 Mar 2019
85
85th
Honnold is not the most engaging character, but that just makes his motivation, personal history, lifestyle and the ethical questions it raises so interesting. It is a measure of the man & his achievements that the experienced climbers in the film crew, and his climbing buddies are in awe of him. Sure, they fear for his life, and yet no one seemed either capable or inclined to talk him out of something that is so much a part of this man's psyche. Alex is the best advert for vegetarianism I know!
Rated 09 May 2019
77
78th
A thrilling documentary about a fascinating and unbelievable niche of mountain climbing. The documentary avoids falling into the inauthentic feel-good traps of lesser nature/sports documentaries and I appreciate the film's inclusion of not just the climb but the difficulties of filming it.
Rated 14 May 2019
70
73rd
Riveting and highly intense. The actual climb could have been shown a bit longer.
Rated 25 May 2019
85
85th
Genuinely felt quite sick through most of it. Astonishing.
Rated 23 Jun 2019
22
64th
ayy what happened to the guy who was dressed up as a unicorn bunny
Rated 27 Jul 2019
85
81st
To steal a joke from twitter: The best almost-snuff movie of all time.
Rated 29 Oct 2019
84
77th
More than anything, this is a study on human ambition.
Rated 22 Apr 2020
73
66th
A crazy man climbs a mountain while his friends contemplate the idea if filming his possible death is a good idea. Enriched by breathtaking scenic shots and awe-inspiring stunts. There are several moves Honnold does during the movie that just make you flip the fuck out.
Rated 24 Apr 2020
79
78th
I don't watch a lot of docs but in the ones I've been watching recently there has been a trend to force a more dramatic narrative which is not something I'm fond of. Thankfully the filmmakers here appear to be close friends of the insane climber and their priority is visibly ensuring that their documentary doesn't distract him from his goal. The final climb does end up lacking a little hollywood drama because of this, but I prefer the more natural approach to sharing this awesome achievement
Rated 26 Apr 2020
76
65th
This is exhilarating.
Rated 12 Jul 2020
2
13th
I didn't like the guy and was hoping he wouldn't make it.
Rated 12 Jul 2020
75
88th
What a nerve wracking experience, palms were sweating throughout. I'm torn between the commentary during the hike. It added to the tense journey but it also felt a bit distracting.
Rated 13 Sep 2020
61
51st
Some people may think that Alex is a troubled man, depressed, with autism and lacks any emotions. For me, he's someone that has found passion in his life. Feels like makers did not know which way to go - to show Alex as a man or Alex as a super-climber. Because of that, film lacks in some aspects. Po filmie można stwierdzić, że jest to człowiek z problemami, depresją czy autyzmem i brakiem "normalnych emocji". Dla mnie to ktoś, kto znalazł swoją pasję.
Rated 13 Jan 2021
7
62nd
Boy I couldn't live like that
Rated 14 May 2021
75
84th
It's no death-defying feat of insightful documentary filmmaking, but it does a competent job of conveying its utterly stupendous content (impenetrable though Alex Honnold may be) and it's that content that my high score reflects.
Rated 10 Oct 2021
70
53rd
I totally thought P U L P was kidding about the guy in a bunny suit. Insane. Probably my second-favourite moment, after the reveal that Alex was wearing his girlfriend's dirty underwear to keep her close to him on the big climb.
Rated 14 Apr 2023
60
71st
Tense stuff. It's interesting that you can turn this kind of thrill-seeking pastime into a career, but something far less risky like heroin gets looked down on. Maybe if drug addicts were given sponsorship deals, society would find some way of accepting their self-destructive behaviour as well!
Rated 06 Jan 2024
80
65th
visually stunning, nice doc
Rated 03 Feb 2024
80
73rd
Interessant war die Magnetresonanztomographie, bei der festgestellt wurde, dass die Amygdala von Alex Honnold eine erhöhte Erregungsschwelle hat. Sie hat also im Test offenbar nur bei ungewöhnlich starken Reizen Furcht signalisiert. Das ist bei Extrembergsteigern wahrscheinlich ein zu erwartendes Ergebnis. Die Frage ist, ob diese relative Furchtlosigkeit nur durch Abstumpfung erworben oder sogar veranlagt ist.

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