4. “Free Solo” – Best Documentary – The most stressful movie experience of the year! Alex Honnold attempts to climb El Captain – a 3,000 foot granite wall in Yosemite National Park – without a rope and directors Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi capture his incomprehensible expedition every step of the way (pardon the pun). Someone trying to free solo a cliff like El Cap has be to wired differently than most, and the film presents Honnold’s quirky habits, like eating his meals from a frying pan and spatula, but his congenial persona and singularly-focused goals gain our admiration. If there was not enough drama with his El Cap journey, Honnold finds a charming, caring girlfriend, and now, his daredevil pursuits directly impact someone else.
A mind-blowing doc!
Image and Trailer credits: National Geographic