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What would or could you expect to get when you put two comedians together and watch them climb an almost 8000 foot mountain? I never would have expected the results. You could most likely predict something strange, and even boring since hiking cannot be the most fun adventure out there. But instead, the humour takes over and the results are practically a comedy sketch amidst a less than seven day long hiking adventure.
Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu is a new documentary produced by both Bob Odenkirk and David Cross, the two stars of the show. An idea that definitely feels to have been discreetly decades in the making. It feels so simple, David asking Bob if he wanted to climb this bucket-list-worthy trail. Yet, the results of their endeavour become something of pure joy and entertainment. To witness two men in the midst of climbing this stellar feat, and be happy and pleasant while doing it, truly gives us each the motivation to live life to the fullest.
Why Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu Is 2026’s Most Joyful, Unexpected Documentary
Sometimes life sends us down the strangest path. A bucket list idea, a friend surviving a heart attack, two things so simple and one harsh, could give an individual the motivation to do something they might have otherwise missed. Life is too short to not go for it. Following Bob’s heart attack, him and David climb the mountain that is Machu Picchu. Along their journey, instead of keeping silent or breathless, they crack each other up and in doing so, give the audience a good laugh too. Friends and colleagues for decades, their journey up to the top of the mountain finds them reflecting on their friendship, careers, and even the instability of life itself.
Normally, documentaries like this might not be filled with much room for audiences to enjoy what is being shown to them. But these two iconic comedians, stars of Mr. Show, Arrested Development and Better Call Saul, bring chaos to their journey. For myself, as someone who only really knows of Bob and David from Nobody and Alvin and the Chipmunks, seeing them reminisce together in their fun little adventure — little in no physical sense — provides entertainment and information about them too.
What is truly so enjoyable about Bob and David climbing Machu Picchu is their individual traits coming through amidst their journey. There are several moments within the film where we get to see Bob pulling one liners, or talking to himself while in his tent. Then David pulls off farting upon descent, with their tour guide Jose stating that it is “better outside than inside”. I honestly could not help but think to myself just whether or not their guide and film crew were prepared for the chaos and insanity the two had in store. Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu might be classified as a documentary as it is non-fiction, but you forget about that when you watch. Bob and David have created a sketch comedy show literally on the road, or path I suppose. Taking us all on their adventure while providing the jokes and the laughter as if they were performing on stage.
It honestly becomes a breath of fresh air when you can watch a documentary that is made completely for entertainment purposes. Like Nicole Kidman once said “we go to the movies for magic”, or whatever, and in Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu, it might not be a total magical event, but it does take us away from the world and lets us see these two men having such fun and understanding the true importance of life. They teach us things we might otherwise have forgotten and remind us how important it is to live life to the fullest. At times, you never know if it is scripted, but that need not matter when you are too busy simply enjoying the ride they take you on.
What a clever pick for the Spotlight Documentary section of the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival. A great pairing of two comedy legends who have known each other for decades in an attempt to hike one of the world’s toughest trails. Bob and David answer your question that you never knew you had. What happens when, instead of a simple hiking documentary, you are given two silly characters and watch them hike Machu Picchu? Well, you might not have asked yourself that, but you still find out just what would happen had you had wondered at any point. Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu is a film you never expected to get, but now that we have, it is one I hope everyone can see one day. Whether you had been a fan of Bob and/or David before, like hiking documentaries, or simply want to watch something fun and carefree, Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu is the film for you.
Grade: B+
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Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu
Comedy legends Bob Odenkirk and David Cross tackle one of the world's toughest hikes — and each other — in this high-altitude, coca-fueled meditation on friendship, mortality, and profoundly absurd comedy from two icons still magnificently in sync.
