Finding Michael

What’s it about?

In 1999 Michael Matthews, at the age of 22, set the record of becoming the youngest British climber to summit Mount Everest. During the descent down to Camp IV (four), the weather worsened and when his guide turned around Michael was nowhere to be see.

23 years later Michael’s brother Spencer Matthews (Made in Chelsea) and his family are sent a potential blurred picture of his brothers’ body in the ice. This sparks a recovery mission led by Spencer in attempt to retrieve the body and bring Michael home.

The facts

• Directed by Tom Beard
• English and Nepalese languages
• Runtime: 60 minutes

Why did it get this rating?

This film was self-rated by Disney+. You can find out more about self-rating by streaming providers here.

Content may disturb

The documentary is about locating a dead body. There is a lot of drone footage where we see camera angles that zoom in on multiple corpses (dead bodies) in an attempt to identify them. While the bodies are respectfully blurred this could still be confronting or upsetting for some viewers.

It is said that on average seven people die attempting to climb Mount Everest each year and we see the memorial for the lost climbers. We also meet the family of a guide who died the previous year leaving behind three orphaned children. Emotions are high at certain points during the documentary.

People who have gone through similar experiences might find this challenging to watch.

Further information

• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?
• Finding Michael review – Spencer Matthews goes on a haunting high-altitude mission