Tenzing review: The Everest story finally told from his side

🏔️ Tenzing came onto Apple TV without much noise, and it is exactly the kind of film we love to be surprised by: a true story we only half knew, told very well.

Some films are not on your radar at all, and then they turn out to be the best thing you watch that week. Apple TV brought us Tenzing, and my wife and I watched it together. I rate it 4.5 out of 5. It is a fascinating story, and it is great that somebody finally made a film about Tenzing.

The story in one line

In 1953 a British expedition led by Colonel John Hunt sets out to climb Everest. Edmund Hillary is one of its climbers, and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa mountaineer, is the man who stands next to him when they reach the summit. The film tells the story from Tenzing’s side, and it moves between the expedition and the life that brought him to it.

Most of us know the name Hillary. Far fewer people know what Tenzing’s life looked like before and after that day, and that is the gap this film fills. Genden Phuntsok plays him, and Tom Hiddleston plays Hillary.

A true story we like

We like films based on real events, and this is a very good example of why. You know where the story ends, and it still holds you, because the interest is in how people got there and who they were. A story like this one cannot be invented. It is a remarkable thing that a man did, and the film treats it with respect.

It is also good to see a film made about Tenzing himself. Hillary is the name most people remember, and this film gives Tenzing the story he deserves.

The start takes a little time

The one real criticism I have is the beginning. It takes a while to get going, and it could have been faster. Nothing is wrong with it, but the first stretch asks for more patience than the rest of the film does, and I would have cut it down.

After that, the film finds its rhythm, and the pacing stops being a question.

Tension, and a past woven in with skill

Once the film is moving, the tension is excellent. The story keeps rising towards the climb, and you stay with it. What impressed me just as much is how Tenzing’s past is woven in. It does not arrive as a block of backstory. It comes in at the right moments and makes you understand the man in the present, which is exactly what makes the summit mean something.

Willem Dafoe plays the expedition leader, and the cast around the centre is strong, but it is Tenzing who carries the film.

The mountains

The photography of the mountains is fantastic. Everest looks enormous and dangerous, and the film makes you feel how small people are against it. If you have a good screen at home, this is a film to watch on it. A streaming box like the Apple TV 4K is the easiest way to get it onto the big screen.

The summit scene

When the two of them reach the top, you have tears in your eyes. It is a very emotional scene, and it is brought to the point: it does not overstay and it does not push. It is emotional without being overdone. I will not say more, because it is better seen.

Apple has done it again

Apple has produced a very good film here, and this is the quality we have been waiting for. Our Slow Horses Season 6 review says the same about Apple’s series, and Tenzing shows it for its films too.

Is it a good film for a couple’s evening or the family?

We watched it as a couple, and it is a very good fit for one. It is rated PG, so older children can watch it as well, but there is peril on the mountain and some emotional moments, so it suits teenagers and up better than the little ones.

• Best for: couples and families with teenagers, and anyone who likes true stories.
• Runtime: about two hours, so plan an evening.
• Mood: patient at the start, then gripping, then moving.
• Where: Apple TV. You can find it in our release calendar as well.

If the film leaves you wanting more of the mountain, Into Thin Air is Jon Krakauer’s account of the 1996 Everest disaster. It is about a very different time on the mountain, and a good book to read afterwards.

Why it is a 4.5

It is not a 5 because of the slow opening, and I want to be honest about that. Everything else is as good as I could ask for: the story, the tension, the way the past is used, the photography and the ending. For a film about a real person, and one that we did not have on our list, it is a very strong result.

Is Tenzing worth watching?

Yes. It is a fascinating true story with excellent mountain photography and a very emotional summit scene. The start is a little slow, but the film holds its tension afterwards. We rate it 4.5 out of 5.

Where can I watch Tenzing?

On Apple TV. The film opened in select theaters on 9 October 2026 and arrived on Apple TV on 16 October 2026.

Who stars in Tenzing?

Genden Phuntsok plays Tenzing Norgay and Tom Hiddleston plays Edmund Hillary. Willem Dafoe plays Colonel John Hunt, the leader of the 1953 expedition, and Caitríona Balfe plays Jill Henderson.

Is Tenzing a true story?

Yes. It tells the story of Tenzing Norgay, the Sherpa mountaineer who reached the summit of Everest with Edmund Hillary on 29 May 1953. As with any biographical drama, some scenes are dramatised.

Is Tenzing suitable for kids?

It is rated PG. There is peril on the mountain and some emotional scenes, so it suits teenagers and up better than young children.

How long is Tenzing?

About two hours and five minutes.