The Ledge

From 2010’s The Dead and its sequel to 2015’s Never Let Go, Howard J Ford has formed a habit of cracking out intense, highly distinctive thrillers featuring terrific stunt work, and The Ledge will not disappoint his fans. It begins with a simple but powerful premise. Kelly (Brittany Ashworth) is on a climbing holiday with her friend Sophie (Anaïs Parello) when they meet a group of young men. Kelly is tired and goes to bed early, but Sophie wants to stay up drinking with them. When things get out of hand and Sophie is killed, Kelly, who decided to go looking for her, captures the act on her camera, but is seen doing so. There’s no way she can outpace four guys, all taller than her, on the ground, so the only thing she can go is to grab her climbing gear and go up.

What follows is a chase, but Ford knows better than to make it linear. With alternative routes around the mountain (supposed to be part of the Italian Dolomites, actually shot in Serbia) things quickly become more complicated. Kelly’s pursuers have more gear than she does. She has barely any supplies, and no warm clothing. But she’s a better climber than they are, and it’s apparent very early on that she has a formidable will to survive. There are mind games involved as the group’s self-appointed leader Joshua (Ben Lamb) tries to persuade her that all he wants is the camera, but ultimately, the biggest test is not the threat posed by her pursuers: it’s the mountain itself.

Reviews of this film have been mixed, so it’s worth saying that it’s not Ford’s strongest work from a dramatic perspective. Although men like Joshua certainly exist, they don’t usually spell it out as clearly, and this risks making him look a bit cartoonish; more so because the supporting characters are a bit underdeveloped. There’s also a backstory for Kelly, played out in flashbacks, which feels like TV movie stuff and doesn’t really add anything to the story. We know who she is because Ashworth shows us; we don’t need ad additional layer of sentiment. This is of limited importance, however, given that the real hook is the action. How this impacts you as a viewer may well depend on how familiar you are with climbing.

The various accidents which befall these characters on the mountain are scary enough at a dramatic level. Take a step back from that and you’ll realise that you’re watching people do a lot of it for real, often in ways which involve still more serious peril, even if they’re not as high up. They may not all be on top form as actors (though Ashworth certainly is), but they are all highly skilled, and some of this stuff is truly nerve-racking. There is one moment, near the end, where we don’t get to watch as a key part of the climb is completed, and one suspect that that’s because only a handful of climbers are capable of it, and none of them could be dressed to look the part. Nonetheless, there’s some impressive work on display and real courage has gone into making this.

There’s also some technically impressive work on display here. Shots which might not seem remarkable at ground level are much trickier to pull off at height, and that late stage climb aside Ford makes sure we always know what characters are doing at key moments. Stunning views across the rock face and adjacent valley are balanced by tight close-ups as tired fingers seek the next crevice. We see the effort involved in the climb, both physical and mental.

Climbing is rarely done at speed. It takes patience. If you’re willing to be patient with this film, and to engage with it as a climber must engage with the rock, you’ll find its magic.