Oct 16, 2026 11:02am IST
‘Tenzing’ Review: An Exhilarating Mountain Adventure That Reclaims A Sherpa’s Legacy
“Tenzing” is an absolutely exhilarating mountain adventure film about Tenzing Norgay, who, along with Edmund Hillary, was the first to climb to the top of Mount Everest in 1953. Directed by Jennifer Peedom, the film stars the marvelous Genden Phuntsok as Tenzing Norgay, along with Tom Hiddleston and Willem Dafoe. It is the story of an ordinary, poor Tibetan-Nepali-Indian man who, with nothing but ambition and tenacity, broke an extraordinary record, and remains among the world’s greats.
The film is remarkable for a few things. It is rare to have a woman direct this ‘macho genre’—a mountain-climbing adventure thriller about climbing the world’s highest peak (29,032 feet/8,849 meters). The docu-drama played at the Toronto International Film Festival (in the Gala Presentations) and Telluride Film Festival. Also, this is a post-colonial narrative, honoring the contribution of Tenzing Norgay, the Sherpa climber, usually dismissed in Eurocentric narratives as a footnote, but without whom the foreigners, including the British John Hunt and New Zealander Edmund Hillary, could never have summited Everest.
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The film, a US-Australia co-production, opens with Tenzing Norgay (Genden Phuntsok, Chinese-Tibetan actor) as a young man born into poverty, who desperately needs a job as a Sherpa so he can marry. He is treated with disdain by his white superiors, including Col John Hunt (Willem Dafoe), and also as an outsider by the other Nepali Sherpas, as he is a Bhotia of Tibetan descent. Luke Davies layers the screenplay with ambition, racism, class, ethnic and labor conflict, and highlights the stark contrast between the Sherpa and Western approaches to climbing Everest. The British want to notch up one more hurrah for an Empire in its last throes; Col Hunt sees the climb as the “siege” of a mountain to be “conquered.” But Tenzing has a spiritual approach towards Chomolungma, as they call it: his faith must appease the powerful mountain goddess. Nonetheless, Tenzing has to argue to get the position of a climber, and not just a porter.
Other mountain-climbing films with landscapes and adrenaline include “Free Solo” and “14 Peaks” on Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja. Tenzing offers breathtaking icescapes and several heart-stopping moments, including when the ground beneath their feet implodes, and when Hillary slips into a deep crevasse, and Tenzing saves his life. This deepens their friendship, and Hillary acknowledged both of them as summiteers of Everest, and they remained lifelong friends.
Jennifer Peedom, an Australian who has made mountain-climbing documentaries for 20 years (“Solo”, “Sherpa,” for which she won a BAFTA nomination for Best Documentary), “Mountain,” “River” and “Deeper,” switches to a docu-drama. The film is elevated because of the authenticity and familiarity she brings, and because she gives credit where it’s due.
There are a number of South Asian talents in the film: Genden Phunstok (Jinpa), who plays Tenzing, is handsome and has a disarming humility, but he’s no pushover. Willem Dafoe superbly plays the crusty John Hunt, while Tom Hiddleston is deferential as Hillary. Tibetan-Indian actor Tenzin Dalha earnestly plays the younger Tenzing, and Nepali-Tibetan actor Thinley Lhamo plays Dawa, his wife—both were also in “Shambhala,” which was in the Berlinale Competition. Pravesh Sahni is co-producer. Stefan Duscio’s widescreen cinematography is magnificent, taking you right in the thick of the action, while Simon Njoo’s editing could have had fewer flashbacks.
The producers are Liz Watts, Emile Sherman, Iain Canning, Jennifer Peedom, Luke Davies and Desray Armstrong, while the executive producers include Norbu Tenzing, son of Tenzing Norgay. The strong women crew includes director Jennifer Peedom, producers Liz Watts, Jennifer Peedom and Desray Armstrong; production designer Melinda Doring and costume designer Kirsty Cameron, with original music score by Rebekka Karijord. Watch the film on Apple TV.
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