Climbers race against time, the elements, and each other for the glory of The Last First: Winter K2

That means that John Snorri and the Sadparas, whom Bar-Lev seems to have been initially working with, quickly saw their small venture become a race; a two-tent base camp became a small city. It also means that The Last First quickly moves from a more typical mode, where ominously vague talking heads and terrifyingly specific on-the-wall footage tell the straightforward story of a single climb, to something more shaded and relatable for those of us more likely to be sitting on the couch watching a movie about mountains than actually climbing one. It helps that seemingly everyone attempting the climb was equipped to contribute to the documentary—everyone has a GoPro and an iPhone; half of them hired their own cameramen. This adds yet another layer of insight to the film: Even when people die, and they do die, there are always a few people standing around, phone in hand, recording the body. It’s just one more thread—the connection between the burning modern desire to be an influencer and the ease with which a corporation, Seven Summit Treks, is able to attract clueless customers—adding uneasy depth to the adventure.

Those expecting them will still find the requisites of the genre. Harrowing nature footage—striking images of avalanches, murderous winds, and gloves careening down into the void, detached from the climber who plummeted ahead of them—and an expert’s rundown of the mechanics behind the climb make it as accessible and disturbing as these films come. But the same things that make Bar-Lev’s movie better than this also gum up its pace; just as too many climbers clogged up K2, their stories clog up The Last First. Ali’s complex relationship with the Pakistani government, the Sherpas’ desire to summit K2 as a matter of national and ethnic pride, a shoehorned love story—cobbled together from all these personal details, the narrative can get over-busy, especially when some contributors, like filmmaker Elia Saikaly, are allowed to go too long on their pet angles (like the corporate malfeasance of Seven Summit, or the scandalous rumors surrounding the Nepalese team). 

It’s no wonder that this particular winter led to so many stories, but putting undue focus on some, especially when the film structures and withholds some of its information into a narrative form that feels as coy and low-rent as some Netflix true-crime, freezes up whatever tears might well up from becoming invested in any one climber’s journey. Yet, the meatheads and daredevils and pay-to-play lookie-loos form a representative and affecting unit, a group that helps illuminate the desperate, shared hunt for purpose and importance at the end of history. Taken as a whole, the faction-shattered drama between exploited tourists, reckless experts, proud pros, and the unforgiving mountain is as brutal and clear as ice.

Director: Amir Bar-Lev
Release Date: October 2, 2026 (Apple TV)