Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Lots of poor behavior in cinematic tale of toxic friendship.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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The Climb
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In THE CLIMB, old friends Mike (Michael Angelo Covino) and Kyle (Kyle Marvin) are on a cycling trip in Europe. Kyle is about to be married, but Mike admits that he's slept with -- and is still sleeping with -- Kyle's fiancée. The friends next see each other at her funeral; Mike married her instead, and he's now a grieving widower. Mike is invited to Christmas with Kyle's family, where he shows just how down-and-out he is and learns that Kyle is engaged again, to Marissa (Gayle Rankin). Marissa and Kyle take Mike skiing, which turns out badly, as Mike tries his best to break them up. Years pass, and things come more or less full circle as the men try once more to make their friendship work.
Is It Any Good?
Two real-life best pals explore the dark side of friendship with this impressively cinematic feature filmmaking debut that deftly combines loony humor with deeply ingrained human fears and anxiety. Written by both Covino and Marvin and directed by Covino, The Climb begins with an amazing long-take sequence featuring both men on bikes, marrying the emotional content of their dialogue with the physical environment around them, all in what appears to be a single, seamless take. Things continue with another single take, an acrobatic Thanksgiving sequence that transitions flawlessly into a Christmas sequence.
Each of the movie's seven sequences plays like a little episode, and the span of time between each is uncertain; the men gain and lose weight, and their facial hair changes. But sometimes odd humor kicks in, such as their surprising number of clumsy little brawls, with grappling, grunting, and kicking. Sometimes The Climb takes a break from reality, as when four men in a graveyard break the fourth wall and sing "I Shall Not Be Moved" in beautiful harmony. But, mostly, the movie is about the slow, terrible balance between trust and betrayal and about how even platonic love can be toxic (it's the opposite of a "bromance").
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Climb's depiction of alcohol, smoking, and drug use. Are these things glamorized in any way? Are there consequences for using them? Why does that matter?
How much violence is shown? Why do you think the characters fight so often? How did their fights make you feel? Are they exciting? Funny?
What is "toxic friendship"? Why do you think people would stay friends if things always turned out badly?
How is sex depicted? Do characters have sex based on love or trust, or does it have to do with power?
In one scene, Marissa practices with Kyle to teach him how to say "no." Why is it sometimes so hard to say "no"?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : January 19, 2021
- Cast : Michael Angelo Covino , Kyle Marvin , Gayle Rankin
- Director : Michael Angelo Covino
- Studio : Sony Pictures Classics
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Friendship
- Run time : 98 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : language, sexual content, some nudity and brief drug use
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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