The Climb

December 2 - 3:
WED-THUR 5:45

(2019 / USA / Directed by Michael Angelo Covino)

Uphill battles are the spine and central pleasure of this comedy about two best friends who share a close bond – until one sleeps with the other’s fiancée.

Built around a series of vignettes, the movie charts Kyle (Kyle Marvin) and Mike’s (Michael Angelo Covino) turbulent friendship over a span of years as Mike tries time after time to intervene in Kyle’s life and “save” his friend from making bad decisions. But he is as insightful as he is toxic, and his willingness to blow up Kyle’s life is driven less by altruism than by narcissism. In part, Mike defines his own worth by his ability to take up space in Kyle’s universe, and the worse his life becomes, the more he takes his pal down with him. As the emotional dynamics shift between the two men and the vignettes veer from sincere drama to slapstick to cringe comedy, the story is at times touching, at times raucous. Co-written by two best friends, The Climb grew out of a real brotherly bond that translates here into a rich, human, and frequently uproarious film about the boundaries (or lack thereof) in all close friendships.

R / 1 hr 34 mins.