A testament to a brother’s love, Finding Michael follows Spencer Matthews as he attempts to bring home the body of his older brother, Michael, who died after summiting Everest 23 years ago as a 22-year-old. Estimates say about two-thirds of the 300 climbers who have died on the mountain—200 bodies—remain. All Spencer has is a grainy photo of a body clad in the same color suit as Michael’s.
Spencer was just 10 at the time of his brother’s passing, and the event still sits unresolved for himself and his mother and sister. Spencer hires a team of searchers who create a search grid and start the arduous process of looking for the lost climber. The movie follows Spencer as he makes the three-day trek to Base Camp 1. Using drones, the sweeping cinematography is breathtaking. But 23 years of snow and ice is a tough opponent, and Spencer’s success is never assured.
Full of heart and beautifully shot, this movie reminds audiences of the extremes we will go to find resolution. Spencer’s adventure is truly looking for a needle in a haystack … under impossible conditions in what’s known as the Dead Zone. Mission impossible indeed. (100 min.)
—Anna Starkey
