Tenzing Review: A Formulaic But Inspiring Old-School Adventure Movie [TIFF 2026]

It seems that this year, Apple TV is going all in on inspirational biopics for their more prestigious film fare. Of the two such biopics the studio/streamer brought to the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, People's Choice Award runner-up "Being Heumann" is the one that's received more hype, and deservedly so: Siân Heder's latest film is better than her best picture Oscar winner "CODA," and its huge cast of disabled actors is genuinely groundbreaking. But don't sleep on Apple's other true story crowdpleaser of the festival, "Tenzing."

"Tenzing," directed by Jennifer Peedom and written by Luke Davies, details the life of Tenzing Norgay (played by Samdrup Dorje Lama as a child, Tenzin Dalha as a young adult, and Genden Phuntsok in middle age). In 1953, alongside Sir Edmund Hillary (Tom Hiddleston), Tenzing made world history as the first man to reach the summit of Mount Everest, known as Chomolungma in Tibetan. Using flashbacks, the movie alternates between that famous expedition and the determined climber's journey in life that led him to that point.

British mountain climbing teams in the Himalayas were always reliant on Sherpa guides to the area, but Tenzing was the first native of the region allowed as an official member of a British climbing team (he was previously a member of the 1952 Swiss expedition that got closest to the peak up until that point). Where the British see Everest and nature in general as something to conquer, Tenzing views the climb up Chomolungma in more spiritual terms, as a chance to connect with the goddess of the mountain. His perspective anchors the film, and the combination of his good-hearted ambition and his defiance of both physical and social obstacles in his way make him impossible not to love.

Focusing in on the character Tenzing Norgay is what brought Jennifer Peedom to direct her first narrative feature, after making a career out of directing mountain-climbing documentaries such as 2014's "Sherpa" and 2017's "Mountain" (narrated by Willem Dafoe, who returns here in fine form playing the British expedition leader John Hunt). She brings with her enough documentarian skill to make "Tenzing" feel almost as real as visually possible.

Some scenes in the movie are shot on location in Nepal, while others use New Zealand mountains as stand-ins for the Himalayas. The cumulative effect of the production is transportive — the actors are really braving enough of the elements that you buy that they're really on this journey. There's visual effects used, of course — they weren't really going to dangle Tom Hiddleston off a crevasse of ice — but even the less convincing green screen moments kind of work with the old school adventure movie vibe of the proceedings.

Seeing all this effort put into the production does make it a bit disappointing that "Tenzing" is set for a bare minimum awards-qualifying release in a limited number of theaters before being sent to streaming a week later. Will audiences at home enjoy the movie quite as much as those seeing it on the big screen at TIFF? There's always a fear that the excited film festival atmosphere might be boosting opinions of certain movies higher than they'd be otherwise, but these differences are often especially pronounced when it comes to streaming titles. We know Apple can make crowd-pleasing adventures like "F1" succeed in theaters, so why couldn't they take more of a chance on this?

The decision to keep the movie's focus so tightly bound to its title character is understandable. Perhaps we could have gotten more time developing Tenzing Norgay's friendship with Edmund Hillary, but the strength of Genden Phuntsok and Tom Hiddleston's performances are enough for us to understand their bond. We also get the important context that they're both outsiders: Edmund stands out from the Brits as a Kiwi (when Tenzing asks what a Kiwi is, John Hunt replies, "We're still figuring that out"), while Tenzing struggles to fit in not just among the white men, but among the Sherpas as someone from another tribe (the real Tenzing's birthplace is a subject of debate). Hunt, played with great humor by Willem Dafoe, is the only other climber with a distinctive personality, but I don't know if developing the other climbers more would really boost this particular character study that much.

The lack of development for Tenzing's wife Dawa (Thinley Lhamo), however, feels a bit more of a problem for the movie. She's passed away by 1953, and her memory is a major motivator on her husband's big mission. If the flashbacks focused on their relationship actually illuminated her as a character beyond just Tenzing's supportive wife, I suspect the overall emotional impact would have been greatly strengthened. It's not as if a historical drama in such a traditionally masculine profession needed to pass the Bechdel Test, but better-written female characters do make a difference.

Practicing the English phrase "Mister, I am an amazing worker" while applying for his first climbing job, Tenzing ends up mangling the introduction as "I am Mr. Amazing." Years later as he reaches the peak of Chomolungma, he can definitively say he is "Mr. Amazing." The movie that bears his name isn't anywhere near so amazing. It's not that it does much of anything wrong, but it lacks that extra spark to push it to the next level. But even if it lacks the amazing quality of its hero, "Tenzing" is incredibly solid viewing that viewers of all ages can enjoy.

"Tenzing" premiered at the 2026 Telluride Film Festival. Looper screened it at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. It opens in limited theatrical release on October 9 before streaming on Apple TV on October 16.