Max has been leaning towards thrillers based on real events and this week, he’s watching one from 2015 that has positioned itself as the fifth most-watched movie in the United States: Everest, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Josh Brolin.
The drama, directed by Baltasar Kormákur and written by William Nicholson and Simon Beaufoy, tells the story of New Zealander Rob Edwin Hall, who on May 10, 1996, began his ascent of Everest alongside Scott Fischer.
Despite receiving mixed reviews after its release, many industry professionals have praised the cinematography and performances, as it strikingly captured the harshness and majesty of the mountain.
Everest is the fifht most-watched movie on Max US
Everest has not only become one of the most-watched films but currently holds the 5th position in the United States ranking within Max, HBO’s streaming platform, according to Flix Patrol.
Josh Brolin in Everest. (Source: IMDb)
The movie has managed to surpass several successful productions on the service, such as the animated The Peanuts Movie and the horror-thrillers The Visit with Olivia DeJonge and Se7en with Brad Pitt.
Jason Clarke stars in the film, portraying Rob Hall, accompanied by Jake Gyllenhaal as Scott Fischer. The cast also includes other stars like Josh Brolin, John Hawkes, Keira Knightley and Emily Watson.
The story is based on real events and narrates the tragic expedition to Mount Everest in 1996. It follows two groups of climbers led by Rob and Scott, aiming to reach the summit of Everest. The ascent becomes complicated due to an unexpected storm, leaving the climbers fighting for their lives in extreme conditions.
Josh Brolin, Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Kelly in Everest. (Source: IMDb)
The drama explores the challenges and dangers of climbing the world’s highest mountain, as well as the struggle for survival in adverse weather conditions. It focuses on the difficult decisions climbers must make when facing life-threatening situations on the mountain.
Despite receiving mixed reviews at the time, many have praised the performances of the main actors, as well as how the production strikingly captured the majesty of Everest, providing an impressive visual experience.
Jake Gyllenhaal talked about Everest, the popular thriller
Everest was quite popular in 2015 when it had its grand debut in cinemas, and as expected, both the director and the cast members gave multiple interviews, sharing their experiences of filming a movie of this caliber with such an intense story.
Jake Gyllenhaal, as a result, was one of those who didn’t hesitate to talk about the project, confessing, “This project attracted people of similar minds. You have people who are physical and want to do some crazy sh*t”.
He also spoke about the amount of preparation required to bring these types of characters to life, emphasizing the need to be truly trained to withstand some quite complex scenes. There, he revealed:
“For an actor, there is something appealing about putting physicality into your role, where you’re actually experiencing something and not just faking it. There was a good deal of stage work, but a lot of it was out in the open: shooting in the environments, not being able to breathe, struggling and helping each other in different ways.
You’re not separated from the process—you’re actually working with the crew as if you’re on an expedition. That, to me, was one of the most interesting parts of it. Baltasar promised an experience, not just making a movie.
We were all together with this sense of family, the way maybe people used to make movies. I think that’s the way people go on expeditions, and it’s the way people should make movies. But it rarely happens that way”.
