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Based on the real-life events of an infamous 1996 Mount Everest expedition, Everest ­ – directed by the 2 Guns director, Baltasar Kormakur – is a beautifully captured tale of bravery, human spirit and a battle for survival set against a gorgeous yet a merciless backdrop of the tallest mountain in the world.

The story begins with Rob Hall (Clarke); the guide and the owner of a New Zealand-based company called Adventure Consultants who have become famous for their tours of Mount Everest. Leaving his pregnant wife, Jan (Knightley), behind, Rob is preparing for a new expedition and soon sets out to meet his new group of climbers including guide and a friend, Guy Cotter (Worthington), journalist Jon Krakauer (Kelly), postman-turned-explorer Doug Hansen (Hawkes), rowdy Texan pathologist, Beck Weathers (Brolin) and Yasuko Namba (Mori); a renowned Japanese climber looking to complete all Seven Summits.

After helping his climbers with the basics of mountaineering, Rob and his team soon arrive at Everest where the rising popularity and commercialisation of guided climbs has led to crowding on the mountain. Trying to maintain a steady pace, the group – who were first forced to acclimatise to their new surroundings – begin their ascent. Fighting the harsh weather conditions – and a few moments of sheer terror – the unit is determined to make it to the top, however, disaster soon strikes and the climbers are forced to make life-or-death decisions and give it their all in their fight against Mother Nature herself.

Scripted by William Nicholson and Simon Beaufoy, Everest is told with a great deal of freshness and even if viewers are already familiar with the outcome of the story, it still manages to keep you thoroughly involved. The swooping and sometimes vertigo-inducing shots of the beautiful but deadly rocky terrain are mesmerizing and Kormakur’s recreation of the infamous mountain is truly an accomplishment. The sheer intensity of the situations that befell this particularly unlucky group of climbers is almost palpable and there are a few truly intense and terrorising moments that will leave viewers at the edge of their seats.

However, the film’s major flaw comes in the form of character-detachment – not to mention a particularly chaotic third-act – and apart from Jason Clark, whose character and overall performance is truly compelling throughout, most of the other characters, although all genuinely invested in their respective roles, are never fully explored, leaving us a little apathetic to their fates.

Overall, Everest is an immersing tale of heroism and it celebrates the human spirit when faced with the kind of gruelling challenges that only Mother Nature can. Beautifully shot, it’s a visual stunner, though at times its technical achievements aren’t matched by its less involving dramatic peaks.