A Skier's Honest Review of Jim Morrison's New Film 'Everest: The Other Side'

Hilaree Nelson was a skier’s skier. She embodied a level of soul that transformed the act of sliding on snow into a work of art. Along with her longtime ski and life partner, Jim Morrison, she claimed some of the most impressive descents in ski history. 

In the film, Everest: The Other Side, the two set their sights on their biggest objective yet—the Hornbein Couloir. The Hornbein is situated on the middle face of the north side of Everest, a feature that holds almost 9,000 feet of vertical relief. There are few places in the world where you can make ski turns for 9,000 feet. Doing it on Everest makes it all the more spectacular.

Like many skiers who followed Nelson’s career closely, I remember where I was when I heard she died. In the fall of 2022, the Chinese side of Mt. Everest was still closed to climbers due to COVID. So, while their hearts were set on the Hornbein, Nelson and Morrison pivoted to Mt. Manaslu, the 8th highest peak in the world.

Their climb to the summit was successful, but in the initial turns off the summit, Nelson triggered a slide that swept her over a cliffband, leading to her death. In the following days, Morrison, along with a team of Sherpas, recovered her body from the mountain.

The decision to include tissues in the gift bag at the premiere of Everest was apt. The film is the most intimate look at mountain trauma and grief that I’ve seen. I cried. More than once. The film is a moving tribute to Hilaree Nelson, an amazing mother and one of the greatest ski mountaineers ever.

Meanwhile, it cements Jim Morrison in the same ranks. And of course, the film features the wild cinematography and beautiful storytelling that we’ve come to expect from a Little Monster film.

There has been some criticism of the choices made by the people in the film. Some go as far as to call Morrison’s decision to return to Everest after Hilaree’s death reckless, but as a skier, it wasn’t hard to imagine why they initially set their eyes on this behemoth. The line is stunning.

Jim and Hilaree spent a lifetime working up to this point. If anyone was equipped to take on this challenge, it was them. Jim’s decision to go to Everest and ski the Hornbein after Hilaree’s death was a decision to honor his partner and himself. 

If you’ve found yourself reading this review instead of one from the New York Times or the Guardian, I’d imagine you might be able to empathize with that. I definitely can.

Still, the decision to include the footage of Hilaree Nelson’s fatal avalanche was, in my opinion, quite gratuitous. If the goal of the film was to pay homage to Hilaree, this felt misplaced. The misstep came in an otherwise compelling portrait of grief, loss, and one of the most impressive ski descents in history.

When the time comes for Jim Morrison to ski the Hornbein Couloir, the film hits its peak. Shots are cut in a way that transports the viewer onto the expedition team, feeling the stress and raw emotion that come with such a monumental climb.

Unfortunately, the conditions on the team’s summit day were truly horrendous. As skiers, we’re all too familiar with the underwhelming feeling of watching a film where poor conditions ruin an otherwise awesome ski segment.

That didn’t happen here. Instead, the terrible snow conditions add to the narrative. Watching the POV footage of Jim making exposed turn after exposed turn in textured hardpack made my palms as sweaty as when I watched Free Solo. All to say, Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi are exceptionally good at bringing the viewer along for the ride.

Everest: The Other Side is intimate, beautifully shot, and left me inspired to live a little bigger. Despite a few indulgent moments, it was one of the best ski films I’ve seen in years.

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