Climbing
Alex Honnold, 39, is set to feature in an upcoming horror climbing movie The Sound filmed in Mazama, Washington, and Las Vegas, Nevada, according to IMBD. Honnold is famous for his big mountain climbs in both Yosemite National Park, and across the globe. In 2017, Honnold changed the climbing world forever by becoming the first person to summit Yosemite’s “freerider” route on El Capitan without any use of ropes or safety equipment whatsoever. “Freerider” is graded at impressive 5.13a (7c+) in difficulty. No climber has ever completed a big-wall free solo climb without use of safety equipment at such a grade of difficulty in rock climbing history. The feet was captured in the 2018 film aptly named “Free Solo” directed by directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin to critical acclaim.
Honnold returns as himself in The Sound, though in a more fictionalized premise this time around. IMBD describes The Sound as a group of climbers who embarks on a dangerous climb that has been off-limits for years. What initially begins as an audacious expedition transforms into a battle for survival against a force that toys with them.” Only a short preview for the film has been released so far, leaving viewers eagerly awaiting what the film has in store. The film is directed by Brendan Devane, director of other outdoor horror films such as The Canyonlands, and will also star Jocelyn Hudon, William Fichtner and David Clennon.
The preview shows a group of climbers attempting to climb a nearly vertical granite wall that has just be reopened after being closed for years due to unknown circumstances. Quick scenes show the protagonist is returning to finish what his grandfather had attempted to do years prior, resulting in the grandfather dying in a fall. After ignoring warnings not to go back from friends and family, the team of six splits up and encounters an unseen force that can only be heard, causing harm to the climbers. A Native American man can be seen saying” It’s not what you can see, it’s what you can hear,” after a big fall is shown, surely a nod to the title of the film.
Mountains hold a special place in cultures across the world, and some are asked not to be climbed. Devil’s Tower in Wyoming is a famous example of a place held in reverence in Native American tradition. It is known as “Bear’s Tipi” or “Bear Lodge” to indigenous peoples and it has been illegal to climb since 1995. Many versions of the Native American story exist, but a common theme is that a pair of girls were being chased by grizzly bears. They prayed to the great spirit, and the ground rose beneath them saving them from certain death. The deep grooves in devils tower are from the claws of the bear trying to reach the girls, before they ultimately turned into stars in the night sky.
A fresh take on the classic climbing film, The Sound could offer a welcome change of pace this summer—combining the thrill of vertical adventure with the tension of psychological horror. Big names like Honnold will likely draw in both core climbers and casual moviegoers alike. And while the film promises to keep audiences on edge, this time, Honnold appears to be actually using safety equipment. Maybe he was always meant to keep viewers on the edge of their seats—whether from dizzying heights or something far more sinister.
