Tenzing

Check out my full review @ https://movieswetextedabout.com/tenzing-movie-review-genden-phuntsok-leads-a-reverent-everest-climb/ Rating: B- TENZING is a nice enough biopic, and more respectful than most. I love that it’s named after its hero and actually keeps him at the center, and that the Sherpa language gets real space. Genden Phuntsok is extremely compelling as a man with unbreakable faith in his own ambition, while Tom Hiddleston plays the supporting role perfectly. The on-location cinematography, the real Sherpas, and the Everest-versus-Chomolungma idea make it immersive, and I appreciated how few cheap action beats it bothers with. It’s also formulaic, too sanitized, low on friction, fuller of British characters than it needed to be, and slower than its 2h+ runtime can support, with repetitive flashbacks that leave Dawa with very little. I respected it more than it moved me, and I’m glad it’s his name on the poster.

Ever since he encountered George Mallory (Johnny Flynn) as a young boy, Tenzing Norgay (Genden Phuntsok) has been determined to become involved in one of the annually licenced attempts to get to the top of Mount Everest. For him, though, as adulthood sets in this isn't so much an endeavour of achievement, as more an opportunity to meet with the revered goddess of the Chumulungma mountain where he can pay his respects to those from his family that he has lost. His problem is that he isn't technically a Sherpa as his penniless family had arrived in Nepal from Tibet when he was a boy, and so whilst he is welcome enough now as a yak herder he isn't really considered "one of us" - especially when he sets his cap at his childhood friend Kinzom (Lhakpa Tsamchoe) who just happens to be the daughter of his boss. Persistence is key for him here both romantically and strategically, and so learning a little basic English he manages to brass-neck his way onto one expedition, then another - even managing to get to within a few hundred feet of the summit, before reluctantly alighting on the British-led expedition of 1953 run by John Hunt (Willem Dafoe) that includes Edmund Hillary (Tom Hiddleston) and that might finally give him another well-equipped chance to get to the top. In an unprecedented arrangement, he is declared a full member of the climb and though there are still demarcation issues around where his responsibilities start and stop, this means that theoretically he has a shot at the peak - assuming they get there. With the monsoon season closing in on them the party set off, he befriends Hillary and the rest is historical fact. This isn't so much a film about their climbing as an amiable biopic of a determined man who arrived in his adopted country requiring life-saving care from it's monks and who now stood with the ultimate pioneers keen to celebrate the coronation of their new Queen. The real location photography is simply stunning and the use of aerial technology that we have often seen in natural history film-making is put to eagle-eyed use here to convey not just the massive scale of the mountain but the dangers faced by the team as they faced this planet at it's most unforgiving. If you saw the documentary on Lhakpa Sherpa (the first woman to get to the top) then you'll get some idea of the respect in which this place is held by the local population and Phuntsok's performance here marries well the personal ambitions of Tenzing with the reverence felt by his profession for that which they would ascend. He knows that their kit, their oxygen and their tents can help - but if she isn't in a giving vein, then the goddess can make her presence felt with devastating results. It's those elements of symbiosis with their environment as well as characterful rapports with Hiddleston, Dafoe and his envious rival Pasang (Tenzing Jigmey) that allow the engaging Phuntsok to present us with something more than just an adventure movie.

Jennifer Peedom's TENZING restores the historical narrative surrounding the infamous first successful ascent of Mt. Everest in 1953 to include its most unsung hero — Tenzing Norgay. It's been 73 years since Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary made history by becoming the first climbers confirmed to have reached the summit of the world's tallest mountain.  Yet, for much of that time, the historical narrative surrounding their extraordinary achievement has largely favored Hillary, relegating Tenzing's equally remarkable accomplishment to something of a footnote. (We might attribute some of this historical imbalance to the lingering influence of British colonialism, or perhaps a prevailing sense of Western cultural superiority — something the film itself never fully addresses.) Peedom's film seeks to rectify that historical imbalance, placing Tenzing (played by Tibetan actor Genden Phuntsok) at the center of a sweeping, visually magnificent account of perseverance, friendship, and the extraordinary human determination required to accomplish the seemingly impossible. Phuntsok, with no prior climbing experience before being cast, prepared to take on the role by moving into the village of Khumjung in Nepal to train with renowned Sherpa Phurba Tashi, who has reportedly ascended Mt. Everest 21 times. Immersing himself in the Sherpa language (distinct from traditional Tibetan), Phuntsok undertook an extraordinary physical and cultural transformation to convincingly portray one of history's most accomplished mountaineers. Phuntsok's preparation is nothing short of miraculous — hiking for four hours every day, oftentimes with a backpack weighted down by heavy rocks, and sometimes barefoot. Several scenes in the film depict Sherpas carrying supplies up the snowless hills barefoot, including one particularly memorable scene in which a young Tenzing marvels at the mountain boots worn by British mountaineer George Mallory (Johnny Flynn). As someone who has had experience hiking at high altitude, it is also worth noting how remarkable it is that Phuntsok's training in the village of Khumjung — situated at an elevation of approximately 12,400 feet — amplified the physical challenges of each of his daily hikes in preparation for the role. Simply acclimatizing to such an elevation presents considerable physical challenges, let alone undertaking hours of strenuous hiking while carrying heavy loads. What ultimately unfolds onscreen is a remarkably believable account of the physical and mental demands required of Tenzing to achieve his goal of ascending the famed Mt. Everest (or Chomolungma in Tibetan, meaning "Goddess Mother of the World") — and it is Phuntsok's thoroughly committed performance that carries the film, which is especially remarkable given that his co-stars include Tom Hiddleston as Edmund Hillary and Willem Defoe as John Hunt. The scenery is magnificent. The performances from Phuntsok, Hiddleston, and Defoe are equally impressive, but it is Phuntsok who provides the film with its emotional center, bringing an understated dignity and quiet determination to a man whose extraordinary achievements have too often been overshadowed by those of his fellow climbers. Peedom's earlier film — the documentary SHERPA (2015) — put her in touch with the children and grandchildren of Tenzing, and it was through her interactions with them that she became convinced this story needed to be told as a dramatized narrative that shed light on his early life and the events that ultimately led him to join the famed 1953 expedition. Peedom's decision to film on actual glaciers (with New Zealand standing in for Nepal) — including a harrowing scene featuring Hiddleston actually climbing out of an icy crevasse — lends an extraordinary authenticity to the film. With none of the production reportedly filmed on a soundstage, the distinction between a National Geographic documentary and a sweeping cinematic dramatization becomes increasingly blurred.  The formidable landscapes are not merely picturesque backdrops; they are an essential part of the story, conveying the immense physical challenges, breathtaking beauty, and ever-present dangers confronting those who dared to venture into such an unforgiving environment. Quietly released on Apple TV, TENZING has arrived with surprisingly little fanfare, emerging as one of 2026's great new films — a visually breathtaking and deeply affecting historical drama that deserves a far wider audience. TENZING is a triumphant film that, after 73 years, places the spotlight firmly on the extraordinary achievements of Tenzing Norgay, his humble beginnings in Nepal, and the oft-maligned contributions of the Sherpas whose courage, expertise, and sacrifices made these expeditions possible. As a biopic, TENZING is one of those rare films that reminds viewers to never stop believing in their dreams, that kindness is the universal language of friendship, and that perseverance is ultimately the best path forward toward fulfilling those dreams.