Tenzing Review: Tom Hiddleston’s Everest Drama Lacks The Monumentality Of Its True Story [TIFF]

Stars Genden Phuntsok and Tom Hiddleston do strong work and the cinematography is stunning, but this movie is too conventional to be great.

Published Sep 17, 2026, 6:07 AM EDT

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The ascent of Mount Everest was one of the most remarkable achievements of the 20th Century, yet a new film dramatizing the feat doesn’t quite pack the emotion or character work to capture the gravity of its true-story source material.

Screening at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, Tenzing recounts the story of Himalayan Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay (Genden Phuntsok) as he collaborated with New Zealander Edmund Hillary (Tom Hiddleston) and others in an expedition led by John Hunt (Willem Dafoe) to be the first people to reach the top of Mount Everest.

Tenzing is a perfectly serviceable retelling of one of the greatest feats in human history. Following the sports drama playbook rather closely, director Jennifer Peedom’s film hits all the beats one would expect from such a story. There’s in-fighting among team members; a hardened coach figure; unexpected brotherhood formed; a number of montages; and an underdog story about a group of people beating seemingly impossible odds. All of this makes it familiar viewing, especially if one has seen other Mount Everest movies, such as Everest (2015), The Himalayas (2015), and The Climbers (2019).

Tenzing Lacks The Emotional Resonance Its True Story Deserves

As its titular character attempts to a make a climb he has tried, and so far failed, to achieve multiple times, the film bifurcates, frequently cutting to flashbacks depicting Tenzing’s childhood and, eventually, his relationship with his wife. The latter is intended to serve as the emotional core of the story, providing Tenzing with the impetus to keep hiking despite the obstacles that come his way. Unfortunately, the relationship is simply not afforded the attention, dialogue, or nuance needed to anchor the movie as Peedom intended.

Tenzing shows bursts of life when the climbers run into issues on their ascent.

Similarly miscalculated is the growing brotherly bond between Tenzing and Hillary. The two grow close over the course of their ascent, and they eventually became lifelong friends following their achievement. But the film’s minimal dialogue and flat directing don’t exactly sell the trajectory of their relationship with any authenticity.

In turn, this places quite the burden on the shoulders of Phuntsok and Hiddleston, both of whom do exceptionally well given the limited material at their disposal. Phuntsok recreates the warmth, kindness, and infectious smile the real-life Tenzing Norgay was known for, while Hiddleston performs wonders with his eyes as he tries his very best to make this friendship feel as moving and inspirational as possible.

Featuring sweeping landscapes, dizzying angles, and a number of harrowing moments, Tenzing shows bursts of life when the climbers run into issues on their ascent. Cinematographer Stefan Duscio gorgeously shoots the gargantuan slopes, avalanches, and scope of Mount Everest, making the world’s tallest site feel as terrifying as it is beautiful.

Tenzing may tell a remarkable story about a remarkable man, but the film struggles to resonate emotionally. It’s competently made, well-acted, and beautifully shot, yet something is certainly missing from Tenzing Norgay’s ascent to the big-screen.

Tenzing screened at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. The movie releases in limited US theaters on October 9 and is available to stream on Apple TV from October 16.