Summit Fever, Ryan Phillippe Climbs Up A Very Big Rock

Director and writer Julian Gilbey (ABCs of Death 2 (segment “C is for Capital Punishment”) has put together a decent thrill ride with Summit Fever. Starting with a group of young thrill-seekers, drawn together for the sake of an icy mountain, fluffy slopes, and local notoriety. It’s fair to say I can’t understand the appeal of people inclined to scale up snow-covered or in fact, any kind of mountain.

I’m happy to walk often treacherous landscapes from time to time. But I’ve never really come away from that sort of thing unscathed. Similar to The Ledge, Fall, Vertical Limit, and The Summit, Summit Fever is all about those who love to cheat death. People who take risks just for the thrill of it.

Summit Fever Trailer

There are plenty of astonishing landscapes to be found. Especially with a title based across snow-covered eerily high peaks. Summit Fever begins with just that. Micheal (Freddie Thorpe) has just begun his adult job working for his father in a corporate building. His best friend JP (Michael Biel) waving the scent of one last epic climb on some of the most challenging summits in the world. With promises, that Michael will be only gone for a week and that he can return for the forever suit and tie after, Michael takes off for a final heart-thumping run.

Mountaineering Club With Thrillseekers, Summit Fever Plot

Once he is there, Michael meets JP’s friends, sparks a romantic interest with one of the locals, and immerses into the lifestyle. He is keen to make the most of his time within the mountaineering community. What’s more his skills in climbing make him popular quickly. But life in the mountains isn’t all plain and easy. Those without the skill set to judge the harsh environment die. The mountains are peppered with dead bodies each year from either small mistakes, soft rocks, or weather events that simply freeze you to death.

As each body hits the snow, Michael realizes that sometimes the risks are worth it and sometimes they aren’t. His best friend JP, however, is living the dream. There isn’t a mountain high enough or risk not worth taking for him. The thrill is just as important as anything in life. On the group’s final climb, some inexperienced climbers cause a perilous situation that quickly worsens when a massive electrical storm moves onto the mountain they are halfway up. From here it’s a fight for survival as Michael tries to save people trapped on the cliff face while also keeping himself alive.

Summit Fever is an excellent survival and extreme sports movie. The cinematography is superb, including a large patch of the film that dives right into a snowstorm at night. There are plenty of moments where holding your breath seems suitable as well. Unlike 2022’s successful, Fall, Summit Fever refrains from gut-wrenching moments of audience vertigo and instead opts for scenes of close-up white-knuckled tension. Between fast-paced segments of edge-of-your-seat skiing and plenty of climbing and falling off rock faces a nice backstory about doing what makes you happy presents a subtle point of interest.

Where to Watch Summit Fever 2022

In Theaters, on Digital, and On Demand October 14, 2022. Summit Fever is streaming on Prime Video and Hulu in the USA. For more ways to watch check your favorite “where to watch” website or mobile phone app.

The Summit Fever movie is rated

3.5 Mountains that ain’t high enough out of 5