Finding Michael (2023) User Reviews

Nimsdai and his team are the real story

[LeRissika · 7/10 · 29 April 2023]

First let me say: Spencer and his family are not likely to win over too many people what with their apparent lack of any real emotion. They really do come across as privileged rich folk who are doing this more for fame than money. BUT if you watch this as a documentary about Everest rather than about this family, it really is quite an incredible story. It is incredibly sad that Michael lost his life climbing Mt Everest, and anyone would understand the desire to recover his body. They obviously have the means to fund an unbelievably expensive and dangerous needle in a haystack search, so they did! Good for them.

That's what this story is about. Simply put, this is documentary about an incredible search-and-recovery attempt undertaken by the world's greatest climbers.

All the reviews claiming this film is purely about a privileged English dude putting Sherpas' lives at risk are really doing a disservice to the amazing team of climbers that Nimsdai leads. To paint this team as just an under-privileged group of Nepalese locals who are being taken advantage of is incredibly reductive and insulting! They are undermining the unbelievable skill and strength of Nims and his team. Not only are they elite climbers who completely understand (and are well-equipped to take on) the danger and difficulty of the task, Nims has also made a huge name for himself and this is great exposure for him and his company! If you pay attention his branding is absolutely everywhere: the helicopter, the whole camp, all their clothes, even the mug that Spencer is drinking from! Nimsdai and his company and his team are not just some poor locals with no choice but to climb for white people. They're incredible athletes with a strong connection to the mountain that deserve respect and deserve recognition.

People who watch this with that in mind will truly be blown away.

Worth the watch

[stevenbolton-22537 · 7/10 · 28 March 2023]

Bit apprehensive after reading some of the reviews, but thought it was worth the watch. Some people need to calm down about the "priveledge" aspect - of course they couldn't afford to attempt this without financial/media backing, and at the end of the day the sherpas traverse mountains for a living - their whole career has inherent risk, they are paid to fulfill other people's wishes.

I think it conveys the risks of extreme mountaineering well, and shows the devastation that the loss of a loved one in such a circumstance can have on the family left behind.

Spencer does have a bit of a cold soulless exterior, which can be a tad hard to warm to. Good cinematography.

A Disappointment

[DJRMewzique · 6/10 · 22 March 2023]

I have to agree with many of the other statements made here. I was really looking forward to this film and then I spent the whole film thinking, wow...the Matthew's family must have loads of money to have been able to afford to send Michael up Everest...and then, two decades later, have so much money, Spencer could easily travel to Nepal and pay other people to go trekking for his body. The search must have cost a fortune...

And then, in top of that, so much of the gravitas that could have been in the film was ridiculously edited out, making the blurred bodies a huge distraction of silliness. Whomever thought THAT was a good idea should be fired and never allowed to work in film again.

This film could have been so much more, but it ultimately just came across as a little vapid.

Not sure

[eeyorefan-63113 · 7/10 · 19 March 2023]

I'm still watching so pieces I can't comment on but so many of you sound heartless yourselves. Ok, so this guy and his people have the money to hunt for their son. Why should that matter to you? If it bothers you, don't watch. They did start looking for another brother of a family that doesn't have the money to do it themselves. How many of you complainers have lost a child? If so, do you have. Nice burial spot or cremation remains that you know where they are? I have my son's ashes here at my home, I don't have to have that loose end that I couldn't lay to rest. I feared that more than anything due to my son's lifestyle. It's sad to me.

Gorgeous footage but the vibe was 'off'

[kimberleywillis-66390 · 6/10 · 15 March 2023]

This doc film charts Spencer Matthews' quest to find the body of his brother who dies near the peak of Everest. There's a lot that's beautiful - particularly the footage of the mountain and the story of Michael who seems like a wonderful human. What lets it down is Spencer's lack of emotional depth, as he seems nearly throughout to see this as an exciting &wide-eyed adventure, not a deep, personal experience it ought to be. Moreover, watching Nims bounce across the mountain 'body-hunting' just feels in really bad taste, and disrespectful to all that die there. Left a sour taste, if I'm honest.

Completely nonsense

[marcofrisenda · 2/10 · 12 March 2023]

So you go on an expedition to find the body of your brother after 20 years based in a picture and you do not even check with the people which have the most knowledge??

The documentary is just bizarre and completely nonsensical poorly written and with things said which are not accurate ......this is clearly just done for visibility ...the 2 star is only because of some sporadic nice pics of the mountains.

Poorly portrait situations and the whole documentary just is has this vibe of fake or strange ...the narration is also very subjective on things which are not .

All in all a completely waste of time and towards the end stopped listening all together.

Finding Michael

[elricardo74 · 8/10 · 18 October 2023]

I've read a lot of the 1 star reviews, focusing on the risks taken by the Sherpa team and the apparent lack of emotion shown by Spencer.

I have to say, if you are seeking emotionless people look no further than these reviewers. This piece speaks to a family's profound loss and a mission culminating from 23 years of pain.

Whether the family involved are wealthy is irrelevant aside of their ability to afford the mission. Their grief or will to retrieve Mike isn't diminished by their financial assets. The emotions here are real and if the family don't portray that in the way you like, tough. These are people not actors.

The fact that the family never found Mike but chose to recover a fallen Sherpa speaks to their generosity and will to take a win from the trip. They didn't have to do that and the fact that his family chose to see the Sherpa's body arrive, was presumably their call. You can't sanitize grief and seeing that on camera, while a fringe call, for me hammered home that a Sherpa loss is as profound as the loss of a wealthy westerner. Perhaps that was the point and an attempt at showing some balance.

The imagery across the documentary was staggering and, while Spencer is clearly of means, he didn't riff off that and presented well I thought. He stayed at base camp because he would have either been a liability at higher altitude or would have died and greatly compounded the loss to the Matthews family. It was the right call and, contrary to some reviewers, he's allowed to eat a hot meal while there.

The sherpas involved in the mission are trained professionals at the top of their game. No one twisted their arms to take this on.

Sadly populist opinions, Twitter mentality and basic jealousy twisted too many reviews here.

It's a good watch, I enjoyed it and found the emotion real. I didn't judge the protagonists by their assumed bank balance. I judged them as humans & people. If we all did similar we'd all get on significantly better.

Such a shame

[aliceszabo · 1/10 · 11 March 2023]

I was so excited to watch this film but was sadly let down. Contrived and a little tone deaf I feel this film fell completely flat with conveying what should have been a deeply emotional message. The ending felt like a quick producer "save" in a vague effort to turn around the tone the doco was taking. Spencer wasn't remotely likeable and pretty emotionless regarding his brother and Nims was the main person to lend the humanity this documentary needed. It was lacking in depth, and felt rushed. Spencer not following in his brothers footsteps and letting others risk their lives was honestly quite sickening. Overall was left feeling actually quite angry, sad and annoyed at what could have been a fantastic documentary.

Incredible documentary

[ailishakkaya · 10/10 · 13 March 2023]

I dont think Spencer having money has anything to do with a man trying to bring his brothers body home. Spencer though didn't cry definetly came across as emotional.

An incredible story of a man trying to return his brother home. Though Spencer doesn't climb Everest and is in base camp throughout, I think you can sense his worry and fear throughout.

He wasn't able to find his brother, however was able to return another man home to their family. Again a lot of comments regarding his wealth, because of his wealth he was able to give another family closure. I don't think he needs to be poor to come across as likeable or emotional.

Tasteless Elite Privilege

[Greengreenthings · 1/10 · 11 March 2023]

I'm not one to really comment within this sphere. However I feel absolutely compelled to do so in this occasion.

This film has sat uncomfortably with me after thinking over night and critically considering all aspects of the events surrounding Michael's death.

I would like to say that the death of Micheal is tragic and I do feel for the family and the families of anyone who has lost a loved one in this tragic circumstance.

However I find the tone deathless of the documentary quite frankly disturbing and unsettling.

I don't know how this got commissioned at all. I don't think any effort was put into the narrative by either Spencer or the producers. The effort all rests on the shoulders of the Sherpas who risked their lives again to look for Micheal only to be met with indifference from Spencer who is patronising thought buddy" " brother "x 100 , ungrateful and void of any human empathy, he doesn't give a fig about these people! All while he sits at base camp shouting at the radio. Enjoy his breakfast overlooking a beautiful vista.

The film does not mention all of the details surrounding Micheals death and how the Matthews family filed a lawsuit blaming the Sherpas and expedition company / fellow climbers for his death. Other parties in the documentary were also subjected to law suits and blame . Which is possible reason Spencer had never seen this footage of his brother before as the man showing it was also issued a lawsuit , the man had to have a toe amputated. Another fellow climber had water on his brain and had to go in the decompression tunnel was blamed for abandonment .If you are going to climb into a "death zone" I assume the risk of death is a given. However , the death was ultimately tragic . It's just worth noting this is not the entire picture.

It's rich people paying poor people not getting what they wanted and then trying to ruin the poor peoples lives. It is all elitism and smoke and mirrors .

It might have been a more interesting film looking at the contributing factors that cause deaths on Everest and the Mathews family to admit their past actions were wrong and seeing the story of the Sherpas .

There is a Channel 4 documentary on the law suit from 1996 and many news articles if you care to dig around.

I was especially shocked by "plan B" which was the right thing to do obviously. However why did he go to the Sherpas family first to tell them he would bring their beloved back only IF they didn't find his own brother?! Upset them and get their hopes up ?! Surely the human thing to do would to be to tell them afterwards?! What if they had found Micheal ?! Oh sorry can't bring your son / brother/ dad back now!!This was definitely filmed for the grief and shock value, due to Spencers complete lack of emotion or empathy throughout the entire journey. Shocking and cruel to say the least .

This was especially cruel filling the Sherpas young daughter, traumatic reunion with her deceased fathers body . This was completely out of order and should not have been filmed. If Disney delayed the release of this because of blurring out of dead bodies , they surely should of considered the gross exploitation of this young girls grief?!

They were clearly running out of content so we are shown how Spencer goes back to his privileged life whilst the exploitation of the Sherpas continues and the poor families are unable to bring their loved one's back ever, despite their untimely demises being the fault of rich westerners in the first instance.

I do hope the Matthews family find some closure in this tragic event however I do think the fee from selling this awful 1:30mins +would have been better used in therapy .

I would love to see any fee made from this film being used to help the families of lost Sherpas on Everest.

Shocking documentary about privilege!

[czjnhjfx · 1/10 · 11 March 2023]

There is a reason why over 200 bodies are left on the mountain, no normal person would want to risk the lives of others to retrieve the body of someone who was clear and accepting of the risks they undertook when attempting to climb Everest.

How that family and production team can sleep at night knowing they risked the lives of the Sherpas all for a wild goose chase is shocking.

Basically a terrible documentary about the privileged living amongst us.

How that family and production team can sleep at night knowing they risked the lives of the Sherpas all for a wild goose chase is shocking.

Basically a terrible documentary about the privileged living amongst us.

For Climbers....

[jsnechodom · 19 March 2023]

Who are these that dis on this movie citing safety and privilege? Nobody slammed Conrad Anker when he went to get George Mallory off Everest in 1999, the same year Michael was lost. None of these Sherpas in this documentary looked like they were offended, abused or thought the search was unrealistic, unreasonably dangerous or futile.

It used to be accepted as fact that no one could perform a major rescue effort above 8000 meters, it's just not possible for a climber to carry another human. The vast majority of the climbers who have died above 8000 meters on ANY of the 14 mountains are still there. Kudos to the Sherpas!!

I really liked the side by sides of videos taken decades before along with the current shots of the same locations and material.

Bottom line: It's OK to go look for your brother who met his demise, last week or last century, poor or rich.

Michael's Legacy

[megdarling · 10/10 · 29 March 2023]

This is a touching account of Spencer, who lost his beloved older brother, 22 year old Michael in 1999 when he disappeared during his descent after he had summited Mount Everest. Spencer was only 10 years old at the time. The narrative is strung together to tell the whole story as cohesively as possible but the narrative isn't the point. The film is about Spencer finally finding a way to deal with the grief of losing Michael in his own way all of these years later. I knew nothing of Michael's tragic story but now I do. My heart goes out to his family and all of the families in similar predicaments.

An incomplete picture -- sadly not sympathetic

[sek-72319 · 4/10 · 15 March 2023]

It started out as a sympathetic story, and of course, it is a family tragedy. As we watched, my husband and I were wowed by the spectacular houses the family lived in as much as the Everest climb. What do these people DO for a living? We wondered how they carved out the time to plan and make the trip. Do they work?

The real story came out well into the movie, when they shared that their 22-year-old son climbed Mt Everest wearing a Rolex watch. And the real story is the tone-deafness of the family and filmers. The movie is silent on the subject of the family affluence set against the poverty of the Sherpas. It's no sin to be rich but own the privilege! Talk about the cost of the expedition, the Sherpa's compensation, the risks they took -- make the story about the Sherpas as much as the other characters -- they are the real heroes here.

The "well, as long as we're up here" return of the Sherpa body was distasteful. Filming weeping children. Honestly.

An interesting watch

[jkjjcqqfx · 10/10 · 10 March 2023]

First of all, really don't see why people are bringing up the fact they have money when reviewing this. Or the fact he knows words other people don't know. If I was in the same position then I would 100% do the same thing.

You need to watch this film for the story it tells, the way it shows the amazing Sherpas. It's a very sad story but it's also extraordinary to have a recovery mission on Everest! Dont forget when reviewing these kind of films, that they are very personal. You aren't watching this for anything other than what the trailer or summary shows. Take it all in and think of all the families who have lost people on those mountains.

It would be great if Spencer wasn't in it

[Hilly991 · 2/10 · 16 March 2023]

Spencer Matthews has 0 emotion throughout. What should be an emotional search for his brother, comes across as staged and narcissistic. I enjoyed all the parts that didn't include him. There is a running theme of privilege, he has paid others to risk their lives, while he says at the bottom in his nice tent eating a hot meal, stressed that his Walky Talky isn't working. He didn't do anything! Then returns home stating he now know what it's like to reach the summit, in his multi million pound holiday home.

If this followed the Nepalese guy and the search for his brother, this would be a much more well recieved documentary.

Tasteless clutching for heartstrings

[rachelelizabethosullivan · 2/10 · 20 March 2023]

This "documentary" is a poor excuse from start to finish. It is poorly researched, and there is a lot that doesn't add up. To send a team up to search for a body long buried -after 23 years.....on the back of a photo that was easily identifiable by Sherpas as an Indian climber after 30 seconds seems scandalous. Spencer Matthew's seems to lack authenticity and awareness throughout as he tried to convince people of a deeper meaning that he doesn't convey.

Between bear Grylls, Nims and a made in chelsea star being the directors and stars it seems there might have been more ego and self-promotion here than anything. It seemed disrespectful to rescue team to not actually include much footage of how challenging it is to do that work but also disrespectful to the families and bodies of those left on the mountain, and to the family of the Sherpa 'Wang Dorchi' that they brought back down and filmed in complete tastelessness in their worst moments.

I think alot of people who are interested in mountaineering and the outdoors will be very disappointed by this film. It felt like they were trying to create the story instead of just respecting the final resting place of many people who were lost tragically.

Really poor taste. Uncomfortable watching. For a documentary with so much potential it was completely misguided and staged. Beautiful footage, and maybe a good intention but post production should have stepped in to do something about this offensive train wreck before it hit the big screen.

Insightful and beautifully shot

[lisa-241-436522 · 9/10 · 12 March 2023]

A stunningly shot and edited piece of documentary making providing insight into the families left behind when such a terrible tragedy takes place in such a remote part of the world..

As some who knew little about climbing or Everest I came away feeling like I understood the inner conflict between those who want to summit and the phenomenal dangers they face. Real insight into those who climb and the community around the mountain. Personally, I felt it was respectful piece.

I strongly felt having watch the film that it was a passion project for all involved making the show and I would recommend to others.

Really?

[roppafar · 1/10 · 18 March 2023]

Where do I even begin? To risk the lives of sherpas like that just to make a "documentary" is not ok.

Seems wierd to me to launch an entire expedition based on a photo the sherpas could identify in 10 seconds.

Why even bother filming the family of the deceased they ultimately get down from the mountain, it has absolutely zero value. I feel sorry for the poor children who sees their dad brought down in a bag and gets a camera in their face. Crying their eyes out and filled for some kind of shockvalue? Disgusting.

No body on Everest is worth the risk, no matter how much money you have.

Who thought making this was a good idea?

A Beautiful Tribute

[fayinlondon · 10/10 · 13 March 2023]

I didn't even know who Spencer was until I watched this but I feel like I've gone on a huge journey with him. This film is remarkable. Not only have I seen Everest in such a unique way but the story of brotherly love - set with 23 years between them - is done so well. A unique use of old videos of Michael combined with new material of a search into Everest's death zone is wonderful. The story is heartbreaking but handled with such care and respect - I know Michael would be proud. One final thought is that the cinematography is stunning. So well composed and directed. Its a must watch for anyone with Disney+

Absolutely NOT ok

[merbdj857 · 1/10 · 10 March 2023]

There were several points in this documentary which I found frankly sickening.

Why on earth was a justifiably grief stricken girl allowed to be filmed when seeing her father's body landed after it's been rescued off the mountain as 'plan b'? It seemed totally morally wrong and corrupt from start to finish. My heart goes out to the rescue team featured and the Sherpas, and their families, who hone super human skills & dedicate their lives dangerously catering to rich westerners.

I was anxious for the documentary to end. The final scenes panning out from the vast Matthews estate, when moments before orphans were watching their last remaining parent unloaded from a helicopter was just disgusting.

Too much privilege, too little sensitivity. Someone in production should have cancelled this.

Unemotional

[htqrhmjy · 4/10 · 10 March 2023]

I'm not really sure what to say - unfortunately Spencer came across as largely unemotional other than when he was angry when the walkie talkie wasn't working. I think because he wasn't actually part of the physical search it created a sort of detachment from the whole thing. I can't help but see the irony in a rich man being funded to put others lives at risk to get what he wants. No climb is risk free on Everest let alone a search and rescue and the gratuitous nature of the whole expedition tends to overwhelm the 1hr and 40 minutes. It is incredibly sad that he lost his brother, but would his brother have wanted Spencer to do that? The body count on Everest is overwhelming and it's hard to see the many, many tiny specs of frozen remains, many of those Sherpas. I hope the Matthews family can find peace now if not I highly recommend therapy for working through suppressed emotions!

Brother's grief

[malgorzata-burkiewicz · 8/10 · 9 March 2023]

It's a beautiful account of Spencer's journey. Great cinematography, clearly outstanding production value.

I am fascinated by the subject and always keen to find out motivations of people who choose to risk so much in the mountains. Conflicting yet humbling in times when most of us choose being warm and comfortable in our respective comfort zones.

I am, however, discouraged that some of the negative comments focus on politics and ideology rather than its merit. This is not fair. Everyone has a right to grief regardless of their social status. This is not a film about Sherpas although they feature prominently, but about a boy (now a man) who lost his brother. It delivers.

A heartless vanity project that fails miserably

[peter-53106 · 1/10 · 12 March 2023]

A 100% self-serving crock of the proverbial. This was a one-and-a-half-hour documentary that should have been a 30 min YouTube video at best. It has zero substance, Spencer Matthews was a silver-spooned, heartless joke sitting in his greenhouse pretending to be in charge.

Bringing back the sherpa's body was a face-saving attempt at giving oxygen to a dying documentary.

Filming the distraught family was insensitive, and a poor attempt at injecting some contemporary grief into a stale story.

Finding Matthew has no narrative other than my brother died on Everest and my rich folks are going to bring his body home by pouring money into a recovery op and bribing Disney into producing a vanity project.

Michael wasn't left behind, his body was after he disappeared. An experienced mountaineer waited an hour for him in worsening conditions and the Matthews family spent a decade trying to ruin a good man.

Of course, it is sad to lose a son, brother and friend but Everest is a dangerous place. Michael Matthews knew that, he tried to beat the mountain and lost. Time to move on.

Compelling viewing, but please make up your own mind.

[KM-45051 · 10/10 · 8 October 2023]

Wow what a fascinating watch this was around a personal journey of loss.

I knew very little about the subject matter before watching this but I found it addictive, and at times, incredibly hard to watch.

The documentary is beautiful shot, utterly cinematic and aims to help the viewer understand the mindset of those who choose to take on this brutal challenge with potentially the ultimate risk for their own personal reasons. It also explores the amazing bravery and danger facing Sherpas who do this treacherous journey time and time again, as a way of earning a living.

The key theme throughout is of course the incredible sense of loss coupled with the unknown. A family lost a son and brother, but have no real answers as to why or how, nor a body to grieve.

Yes the family are in a privileged position, and this allowed them to embark on this journey. If this had happened to any of us and we had the funds, I feel sure most of us would have done the same.

I'm really disappointed with the negative reviews (which largely seem to focus on the fact that the family are financially well off and mostly able to control their emotions after a 23 year old tragedy therefore the view seems to be that they are not entitled to grieve) and I'm so glad that I did not let them put me off. Even the 'twist' at the end in my opinion was taken the wrong way. The team could have brought down any one of the bodies that were found on Everest, but choose to bring down the body of a sherpa, seeking the families permission first.

Yes it harrowing watching the family receive the body and I agree the children should not have been filmed but also presume it was pushed by the production company, not a personal decision made out of privileged arrogance by Spencer.

After watching it, I felt very humbled to be allowed to witness something so personal and found it a very compelling watch.