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Touching the Void
User Score
8.5 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 27 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 27
  3. Negative: 1 out of 27

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  1. D.C.
    Feb 6, 2004
    9
    Something different = something very enjoyable. A story you can hear again and again and never grow tired of. Beautifully designed, thought out and shot it won't make you want to mountain climb but you might want to buy the book.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. ArtieS.
    Jul 26, 2004
    10
    Incredible.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. ReneeE.
    Mar 14, 2004
    10
    It was breathtaking and beautiful. I loved it and it is one of my new favorites.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  4. Kevin
    Mar 9, 2004
    0
    What happens when you mix asshats with professional climbing? Disaster!!!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  5. Lilian.g
    Aug 8, 2004
    4
    Overrated part doco-part re-enactment telling the astonishing story of a pair of mountain climbers who truly face their limits, and have to make the ultimate sacrifices. Hampered by a lack of genuine excitement and a final half-hour that drags on and on. Attempts to shed light on a person?s state of mind while caught in such a situation are unsuccessful, as is, despite having the subjects guiding us through the action themselves, a true grasp on their personalities. The men?s direct to camera monologues are often distracting, especially the extremely annoying expressions that register on their faces.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  6. Tom
    Sep 16, 2004
    10
    Superb.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  7. MountainLover
    Mar 22, 2005
    10
    Absolutely Brilliant.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  8. PatC.
    Nov 29, 2004
    8
    The definitive movie about expedition mountaineering, with thorough character exposition, personal motivation and cultural interaction has yet to be made. However, after enduring a legacy of inept features on the subject, some excruciatingly bad and even divergently insane, this film is clearly a step in the right direction. It is a powerful statement, if only by inference, of the burning conviction that emerges in mountaineers as they discover the rest of the human race is really missing out on the privilege of total actualization, where one can experience an intensity of living on the edge of death usually reserved for military operations, but without inflicting cruelty. And while the sport attracts its share of irresponsible goofballs, it is clear that Joe and Simon epitomize the best values of brotherhood and a willingness to cope with adversity in pursuit of a fulfilling experience. The film's honest realism, believable depictions of mountain action and stunning cinematography sets a new standard for movies about the most committing of all sports. … Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  9. JohnO.
    Jan 28, 2004
    9
    Best film of 2003.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  10. CameronS.
    Feb 27, 2004
    8
    There are two kinds of adventures you can experience in the realm of cinema. The first one would be an escapist adventure, like Raiders of the Lost Ark and the other Indiana Jones films. The second would be a human adventure, like The Pianist or Master and Commander. Touching the Void is the latter of the two. It?s about two mountaineers who climbed a 21,000-foot Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes. The film plays out as a straight drama of the event. There are actors playing the characters, but you never would?ve been able to notice the difference, for the narrative is all in the description by Simpson & Yates and the action of the actors. As far as the realm of capturing mountain-climbing goes, this is the real thing. Cliffhanger, Alive, and Vertical Limit are all exposing melodramas of the situation; this film is a stunning examination of just how hard it really is, and what you look like when you come back. We know from the start that Simpson will live, because he tells the story on screen. But when he falls into the crevice and is faced with a great impossibility of surviving, we wonder how he is going to get from Point A to Point B. Because Simpson?s endurance is so suspending and incredible, I would rather you go see the movie than I read any more. But I can promise you this, the film will grip you like a hammer into a vertical ice wall. … Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  11. StevieG.
    Mar 27, 2004
    8
    Uneven, but interesting combination of narration documentary and dramatic recreation. The inherent drama of the situation in which these two (particularly one) numbskull extreme adveturers drives the movie. The cinematography of the recreation is breathtaking. There are a number of questions left unanswered, which is a annoying for a documentary, but there are a number of answers too. Definitely worth seeing.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  12. ChadS.
    May 22, 2004
    7
    Failure seems like such a high inevitability from the outset, you end up feeling annoyed at their precarious attitude towards their own lives; more idiotic than heroic. As for my feelings about the skier cutting the rope, thus sentencing his friend to death, like eating human flesh after your plane goes down, unless that carcass or skier is your parent, spouse, or child, all bets are off, and you do what you've got to do to survive. "Touching the Void" is a little redundant, but effective, because you can't believe Joe Simpson is alive.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  13. HanV.
    Jul 12, 2004
    9
    It's great!!!!!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  14. DavidF.
    Jan 7, 2005
    9
    Gripping. I was on the edge of my seat.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  15. [Anonymous]
    Mar 31, 2005
    10
    Amazing movie...I can't believe it is a true story!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  16. amurabim.
    Sep 3, 2005
    7
    Drama? documentary? its biggest problem is that it can´t define itself.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  17. DanielR.
    Nov 24, 2004
    9
    Great movie one that really captizates you and freezes you to your seat.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  18. MarkP.
    May 17, 2004
    8
    Gripping from start to finish although there's no question about the outcome because they're sitting in front of you telling the story. I thought the writing was honest to the point where you really understand what emotions these climbers were going through. Very well done. My only gripe is that I would have like to have a little more understanding of how the climbers resolved things after the reunion. It ended too abruptly for me.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  19. RoryM.
    Oct 26, 2005
    10
    Before watching the film I was put off by the fact that it was going to be a documentary. This, I thought, is going to be really boring. Hell was I wrong; the ‘talking heads’ structure was seamlessly integrated with highly believable re-enactments of their ordeal on the mountain face. Mixed in was the music that kept it all going thumping in the background and rising up to a higher level in moments of stress. Very cleverly filmed, at points of desperation the movements the camera makes, like moving with the head of the person in question, really makes you think the situation Is desperate. It portrays the moments of delirium very well especially at the climax just before Simon finds Joe. The end of the film is greatly moving and stirs you inside nearly to the point of crying. An experience worth your while. Superb.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  20. AliC
    Dec 7, 2005
    10
    Touching the Void was very nearly a Sally Field-sponsored, Tom Cruise-starring Hollywood blockbuster (Tom wanted the part of Joe). Thank the lord it wasn't. One of the great cinematic experiences, and the best climbing film ever, this is also a powerful exploration of humanity, that cannot fail to move anyone who watches it. Joe Simpson is a deeply erudite and thoughtful person, and I guess we are all perversely fortunate that such a ghastly experience should happen to someone with his capacity for reflection and emotional expression. Life changing, shocking and profoundly moving.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
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Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
82 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 34 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 34
  3. Negative: 0 out of 34
  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Lisa Schwarzbaum
    83
    The story itself is so powerful and troubling, the moral geometry so vertiginous, and the photography so big that anything other than the natural sounds of snowfall and footfall is a Flat Earth Society intrusion.
    Read full review
  2. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Michael Rechtshaffen
    90
    Factoring in Mike Eley's breathtakingly vivid photography and a virtuoso sound mix that completely envelops the viewer, it's enough to make you never again want to poke your head into the freezer.
    Read full review
  3. The New Yorker
    Reviewed by: Anthony Lane
    90
    Kevin Macdonald has a terrific tale on his hands, and his telling of it, very British in its matter-of-factness, can barely be faulted; yet the facts drop away, and it becomes impossible not to read the movie symbolically--as a journey to the center of the earth, or farther still.
See all critic reviews »