User reviews

What a wonderfull documentary. It really is an inspiring story. Absolutely worth the watch.

I'm not at all into climbing, or heights, but this documentary is about way more than what you may think the subject matter is.

Determination, friendship, resilience, and so many admirable qualities that make this documentary so watchable and so enjoyable.

Well worth a watch.

Superb demonstration of obstinacy, perseverance, self-denial and ... talent. Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson are awesome! Skill level: 10/10. Endurance: 10/10. After such a documentary, you feel almost derisory or tiny. And then, it's a boost!

I was glued to the screen just sucking up every moment of this experience, I am in hospital watching this documentary from my tablet.

this just gave me the confidence to fight my current challenges.

just wow!

This is more than a climbing movie. It's a story of friendship and perseverance that will not only inspire you, it'll make you want to take on whatever grandiose challenge(s) you've been putting off. Filmed with elegance, a touch of humor, and utmost dedication, The Dawn Wall is an absolute must see!

Dawn Wall was enthusiastically-received in its North American Premiere at Austin's SXSW Film Festival where it received Audience Award in the Documentary Spotlight Competition. Dawn Wall is transfixing as we watch as two climbers, Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgensen, attempt the near impossible. They attempt to free style climb the vertical 3000-foot granite rock face of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. They test the boundaries of their skills and endurance and even the bounds of what is humanly possible. This isn't really just a sports film. When you learn the hurdles that Tommy Caldwell had to overcome you realize that it is an absolutely remarkable human story. The audience is literally hanging on the side of the mountain with Tommy and Kevin as they scale the mountain. The filmmakers actually scaled the mountain with them in order to film them. The film is beautiful edited and the drama is intense. Although the ending is somewhat predictable, the magic is all in the journey they are taking. Highly recommended.

Top notch camera work. I left feeling inspired and awed by the sheer magnitude of what the 2 climbers accomplished. Living on a vertical wall for weeks is just amazing. Getting into the tents and seeing how they were cooking, sleeping and even going to the bathroom was something I've never seen. My 12 year old loved it, as did my 82 year Dad and my 77 year old Mom, neither of whom have ever climbed. A totally accessible movie for the non climber but great if you have a climbing background as well. Definitely a fun watch for a family!

This is a documentary about the power of the human spirit to overcome and accomplish the impossible. The power of friendship and love in the face of adversity is beautifully crafted in this true story. The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous and a behind the scenes at the end is a whole other bonus movie at the end.

I am an amateur rock climber and I watch every video on the Internet about rock climbing. However, I must say that this documentary has something different in it. My climbing gym played the movie on a big screen and I sat there until the last minute, unable to move my head, talk to others or even blink. Their achievement is beyond my grasp, their dedication is inspiring, and their friendship is beautiful.

One of the most moving, immersive documentaries I've ever seen. I think you can appreciate it even if you don't know a clue about climbing. This is a human experience, and every technical part is very well explained.

I will quickly say that the cinematography is more than decent and creates a contemplative vibe with the landscapes of Yosemite. Really stunning place, it already justifies the movie. But the story is even more amazing.

It's the story of Tommy Caldwell and his teammate, ascending the most difficult part of "El capitan", a famous huge cliff in Yosemite. There are some routes already created by climbers along the years, but Tommy did them all, fingers in the nose, if I may say. Actually, he had one finger missing from an accident. And yet he did all of these most difficult climbing routes in the world.

But this is just the beginning. Tommy, still missing a finger, made a route on his own. In the middle of the dry rock who looks like a completely flat wall with no holds anywhere.

The life of Tommy in incredible, his resilience and courage is beyond any difficulty, it actually became an obsession at some point but clearly not the worst one. He made something unique, when he could have been just an alcoholic. His passion/obsession made history.

You will witness one of the biggest moments in sports history. Obviously I recommend.

This is an excellent and fascinating documentary, but have you seen free solo? Same rock, but if you can even imagine it, an even bigger achievement.

TRAILER IS MISLEADING!!!!!!! Great story though,very empowering But the Trailer is nothing like the documentary

I'm writing this after doing a review of "The Valley Uprising". In "The Valley Uprising", Tommy Caldwell showed how great he was.

But in this documentary, it showed how quickly Tommy Caldwell rose through the ranks, as he was definitely born for this sport.

And not only was climbing El Capitan unbelievable, but the reason as to why Tommy did and the stories leading up to it, was extremely intense too.

This is one of those documentaries you talk about after watching it. Not only is it well shot and done but it's also inspiring. With a little, or in this case alot, perseverence a man can accomplish alot. Tommy Caldwell and his climbing partner Kevin Jorgeson did a thing that looks impossible to all of us, free climbing the 3000ft Dawn Wall of El Capitan in Yosemite Park, California. A performance that only a couple people on earth could achieve. And that whilst Tommy Caldwell is missing a finger. It's just incredible! The documentary is very easy to watch, and also shows the majestic sceneries of Yosemite Park. A park I went once a long time ago and that any nature lover should visit as it's so beautiful and peaceful. Even if you're not into extreme sports or rock climbing The Dawn Wall is a must see.

How this doc flew under the radar relative to Free Solo is beyond me.. a beautiful movie about climbing but so much more. Tommy and Kevin display such humanity in their plight to reach their goal that this documentary transforms into a movie about the human spirit, partnership, and triumph. Truly one of the best documentaries I have seen in a long time.

I was pleasantly surprised by this documentary, everything about it is just brilliant! There's a great back story, past footage of the climbers, emphasis on the dedication and process that goes into a big climb. Tommy Caldwell seems like such a lovely guy and his relationship with his climbing partner is what makes this film so inspiring; true friendship.

This documentary is 10x better than Free Solo. I highly recommend.

As a documentary, I liked this one so much more than Free Solo. Obviously, the ultimate consequence if Alex Honnold wasn't successful was death, but this movie focused on work and perseverance. I rooted for Tommy and Kevin way more, and just wanted them to reach the goal.

Over coming physical disabilities, personal trauma, PTSD, pushing your self to supernatural physical feats. Its really and autobiography about the climber and I think thats what makes it great, the personal struggle. Its not a story of self pity or failure, but of achievement and success against the odds.

The characters and the story are something out of this world, but the documentary itself is not especially well directed. They try to juggle between three topics: athletic performance, psychology and relationships, all centered around this project which aims to achieve something seemingly impossible. It s still very much worth watching but it could have been much better articulated and communicated.

These days, with all the media and oscars, the eyes are on Free Solo. Yes I'm must admit it's a crazy feat of being to do so and the filmmaking is outstanding, but here the story is way more compelling as it's more than climbing and pushing yourself. It's about friendship and never give up on it. One the most amazing documentaries I've seen on climbing and overall.

This is a prequel for Alex Honnold free solo. It clearly gives you an order of magnitude to the latter's feat!

Hard to mess up a documentary when the subjects are such special people.

A story of friendship, resilience, and surmounting physical, emotional, and mental challenges all at the same time. Awe-inspiring.

The is so much better than Free Solo. This film got everything right. It had a bit of everything and the climbing was great. My eyes even started to sweat at the end. I highly recommend.