Torn

Play trailer

2:29

Torn

2021

1h 32m

Documentary

Sports & Fitness

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

19 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Widely hailed as the greatest mountaineer of his generation, Alex Lowe was a towering figure in the world of outdoor sports. But he loomed even larger for his oldest son, Max, who was only 11 in 1999 when Alex was buried by an avalanche along with cameraman David Bridges while attempting to ski the north face of Mount Shishapangma in the Tibetan Himalaya. Seventeen years after their deaths, Lowe's and Bridges' bodies were found by two climbers attempting the same route, and in the following months, Lowe's family journeyed to the remote mountain to recover them. In the powerful and deeply moving new documentary TORN, director Max Lowe examines the long-buried feelings this unearthed for him and his family, including his mother, Jennifer; his younger brothers, Sam and Isaac; and his stepfather, Conrad Anker, Alex's climbing partner and best friend.

Watch on Disney+

Stream Now

Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

01/21/2022

4/5

Part family therapy, part weapons-grade tearjerker, this quite lovely documentary from the novice film-maker Max Lowe is an attempt to grapple with the implications of his father's death.

Go to Full Review

Cath Clarke

Guardian

01/18/2022

4/5

One of its pleasures is that everyone here is thoroughly decent, with a real story to tell.

Go to Full Review

Richard Whittaker

Austin Chronicle

01/07/2022

[A] family story given elegant structure and poignancy...

Go to Full Review

Mark Serrels

CNET

03/28/2023

Torn is a sympathetic portrait of Anker. It's also a heartbreaking portrait of a family who, more than 20 years after Lowe's death, still seems to be in recovery mode.

Go to Full Review

Rahul Desai

News9 Live (India)

07/25/2022

Nothing about it is natural. But across Torn, Conrad Anker goes from guest to tireless companion – one who punctures the loneliness and cements the solitude of a broken family.

Go to Full Review

Sr. Rose Pacatte

St. Anthony Messenger

03/25/2022

The film is commendable because of how it deals so sensitively and honestly with Alex’s struggle to choose between family and his passion for mountain climbing.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Nick D.

@inonomus Feb 8

Emotional. Gripping. Eye-opening.

See more

Marilyn B

@RT91584320 Jul 8

Interesting film, not sure Alex was very likeable, he certainly didn’t seem to understand that his wife and children had needs. The part of the film in the car where Alex is talking to the boys was odd, they seemed not comfortable with him. He was a bit overbearing, you have to wonder how he would have handled three stroppy teenagers.

See more

Kay T

@RT38246120 Jun 14

I don't get what you guys are going on about - does Conrad getting together with Jennifer not weird you guys out one bit? How does this movie deserve a 100%

See more

PRISCILLA S

@RT90161972 09/07/2024

An amazingly beautiful story of life, loss and the ability to live and love again. Thank you for the bravery of sharing your story.

See more

kirk m

@RT71593987 03/13/2022

Absolutely loved this heart wrenching, heart warming tale of a family's reckoning of their past experiences dealing with the death of Alex Lowe. Conrad clearly finds himself in a predicament with no easy explanations, other than love as the conquering emotion. He handles, and as handled his situation with maturity, sincerity, and above all love for his family. Only one question I have for Conrad, never explained in the movie .. with such an experienced group, knowing the dangers, and Alex already leery of these dangers and his family back home, why .. WHY didn't they have transceivers? Such as basic tenant of adventuring in the mountains where avalanche is a real theat. A beacon may have saved the day.

See more

02/23/2022

incredible. 100% worth the watch

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Max Lowe

Director

Conrad Anker

Self

Jonathan Chinn

Producer

Simon Chinn

Producer

Chris Murphy

Producer

Ryan Harrington

Executive Producer

The Last Mountain

86%

%

The Last Mountain

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Last Mountain

Buried: The 1982 Alpine Meadows Avalanche

100%

93%

Buried: The 1982 Alpine Meadows Avalanche

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Buried: The 1982 Alpine Meadows Avalanche

14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible

92%

93%

14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible

Watchlist

TRAILER

for 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible

The Alpinist

93%

97%

The Alpinist

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Alpinist

The Velvet Queen

100%

86%

The Velvet Queen

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Velvet Queen

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Torn: Trailer 1

2:29

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Widely hailed as the greatest mountaineer of his generation, Alex Lowe was a towering figure in the world of outdoor sports. But he loomed even larger for his oldest son, Max, who was only 11 in 1999 when Alex was buried by an avalanche along with cameraman David Bridges while attempting to ski the north face of Mount Shishapangma in the Tibetan Himalaya. Seventeen years after their deaths, Lowe's and Bridges' bodies were found by two climbers attempting the same route, and in the following months, Lowe's family journeyed to the remote mountain to recover them. In the powerful and deeply moving new documentary TORN, director Max Lowe examines the long-buried feelings this unearthed for him and his family, including his mother, Jennifer; his younger brothers, Sam and Isaac; and his stepfather, Conrad Anker, Alex's climbing partner and best friend.

Director: Max Lowe
Producer: Jonathan Chinn, Simon Chinn, Chris Murphy, Max Lowe
Screenwriter: Michael Harte
Distributor: National Geographic Documentary Films
Production Co: Lightbox, Technicolor
Genre: Documentary, Sports & Fitness
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 3, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 4, 2022
Runtime: 1h 32m

Most Popular at Home Now