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 We got a fun, new documentary this week, as well as some streaming options. Below are my takes on the new films I saw this week. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734.

Sacrifice (Netflix)
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Evans, and John Malkovich
Synopsis: This new farse first debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival—in 2025. So, it was more than a year later it got wide distribution on Netflix. That seems odd for a film with a high-profile cast. But it’s a strange story. It centers on an environmental gathering for the wealthy some eco-terrorists break in and take hostages. It’s all part of a plan to make a sacrifice so that a volcano doesn’t erupt and kill the world. It’s a wild premise and it doesn’t turn out quite as well as I’d have hoped. There was potential here, and this is a watchable one, but it’s not as strong as it could be.
Rating: Rated R for some bloody violence, and language including some sexual references.
Verdict: Two and a half stars out of five

Tenzing (Apple TV)
Starring: Tom Hiddleston and Genden Phuntsok
Synopsis: At this point in time, nearly everyone has heard the name Tenzing Norgay. But how many know much about him? I knew that he helped reach the summit of Mount Everest, one of the first men to do it. But this new biopic, Tenzing, tells his story. Yes, it includes the signature moment. But it’s really about the man. It’s about how his obsession with the mountain began. And it’s about the partnership with Edmund Hillary on the mountain that helped both reach a place no one had ever been before. The film kicks off in the 1920s as a young Tenzing, who is poor and from a remote village, is fascinated by the mountain. He meets George Mallory as he’s preparing to make an attempt to summit Mount Everest. That expedition is doomed, but it inspires something in a young Tenzing. Flash-forward to the 1950s, and Tenzing (Genden Phuntsok) is a Sherpa helping teams try to reach new heights on Everest. He’s with the Swiss team that gets higher than anyone had previously gotten. But they don’t make it to the summit, which remains elusive. Now in 1953, it’s the English team that wants to make an attempt. They want Tenzing to be part of the group, leading the Sherpas. He agrees, as long as he can be a member of the climbing team and have a shot at the summit. The leader of the group, John Hunt (Willem Dafoe), agrees. The group begins the ascent, racing against nature and time to make it to the top. Along the way, Tenzing connects with a fellow climber, Ed Hillary (Tom Hiddleston). They find a kinship and soon become climbing partners. Their hope is that they will be the pair selected to finish the attempt and make it to a place no one has ever been before. This is the third week in a row featuring a new release film on Apple TV. Tenzing is also the second climbing film of the month, following the documentary The Last First: Winter K2, which streamed to kick off the month. This one got a limited theatrical run, and if you saw it in theaters, you will probably have appreciated the breath-taking visuals. Director Jennifer Peedom does a nice job of trying to bring the mountain, and the experience, to life. There are some beautiful shots and some great visuals that will pop even more on the big screen but are also delightful watching on a screen of any size. They transport you to this world and give you a sense of the scope of the challenge. Unless you’ve shielded yourself, you know how this quest is going to end. The work of Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary is part of history. But this film does a nice job of fulfilling what you’d expect from a biopic, which is laying out the challenges, the partnership, and the journey. When we get to the final moments, it’s definitely satisfying despite the outcome not being in question. It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey, and this one is worth taking. I also like the focus here on Tenzing. We meet him as a boy, and throughout the film we’re flashing back on his life, how he fought to become a Sherpa as an outsider, and the relationship with his wife. All those things help provide depth and ground him as the lead of the film. This is his story—which is often not how this feat is remembered and told. That feels like a refreshing and important change up. It's a solid and entertaining story. There are strong visuals and some good moments. Phuntsok is great in the lead role, and I enjoyed Hiddleston as Hillary. This will be a fun one to check out this weekend.
Rating: Rated PG for thematic elements, language, smoking and some peril.
Verdict: Three stars out of five

You Can See Everything (Theaters)
Synopsis: At the core, a documentary is about a search for the truth. It wants to shed a light on a subject, whether that be a person, an object, or an idea. It wants to tell you about something you don’t know. It wants to present the facts and let you make your own decision. But it can be hard for the documentarian not to be changed by the documented subject. That’s certainly something Nathan Fielder understands. If you’ve ever watched his content in shows like Nathan For You or The Rehearsal, you know how involved he becomes in these explorations. They weigh on him. They consume him. They change him. For season two of The Rehearsal, he even became a licensed commercial airline pilot. He’s willing to go the extra mile. Which is what makes his new project so fascinating. He and Lance Oppenheim teamed on a new project exploring Elizabeth Holmes. Most of us know a lot about her and her actions. At least we think we do. The point of this project, You Can See Everything, is to explore the truth through unfettered access. But it quickly becomes so much more. The premise of the film is based on a straightforward concept. Holmes, convicted and with only 34 days left before she surrenders for an 11-year prison sentence, agrees to let a camera crew document all aspects of her life. She and her partner, Billy Evans, agree to have cameras with them and their young children in a rental house in San Diego during this final month of freedom. And at the outset, it is very much about this. Fielder, as the voice of the documentarian, is trying to understand Elizabeth and Billy. He’s trying to get at the truth of their lives, the case, and their relationship. But as it unfolds, things slowly make a turn. I won’t say more, because this is a film that needs to be explored individually. There are already far too many details about the film and what happens in the film floating out there. I recommend trying to see the film before you know much about it because what unfolds over the course of nearly three hours is challenging, uncomfortable, engaging, and unlike anything I’ve ever seen. We recently saw Oppenheim’s narrative feature, Primetime. That is a similarly uncomfortable story with a flawed main subject. And one of the things I noted was the move of the camera and the ultra tight shots that increased the feeling of sitting in discomfort. That same style is applied here, and it works brilliantly. The other thing that works brilliantly is Fielder. He has a certain style and a great ability to probe and ask the difficult question even if it makes things awkward. He does that here and it helps dig into some fascinating truths. There are times where it’s clear he doesn’t know what to believe, and as an audience you go along on a journey with him. There is also a surprise addition to the main focus of the film that comes in during the second half. It’s a brilliant revelation and becomes a brilliant piece of this film. It adds to the depth of the exploration and is work so good it should be worthy of award-consideration. This film is completely unique. It’s funny, it’s poignant, and it’s extremely uncomfortable. All of it works in a masterful way to create something that holds your attention and won’t let go. It’s the film of the year and one of the most unique productions I’ve ever seen. It’s worth seeking out as soon as possible.
Rating: Rated R for language and some graphic nudity.
Verdict: Five stars out of five