In 1999, Michael Matthews became the youngest ever Briton to summit Mount Everest, but just three hours after he reached the peak, the 22-year-old went missing and was never seen again.
Then, in 2017, his younger brother and former Made In Chelsea star Spencer Matthews received an image from another climber that showed a body buried in the snow, in a similar location on the mountain to where Michael vanished.
Sure, the clothes and equipment look similar, but could it really be him? After 23 years, the family had to decide whether they wanted to act on the lead, potentially risking another family member’s life, to finally bring Michael home.
Spencer, who was 10 years-old when his brother disappeared, didn’t think twice about it. Over the course of Finding Michael, he retraces his older sibling’s steps through Nepal in the hope of retrieving his body and more importantly, giving his parents and siblings the closure they need. But it’s not that straightforward: they’re basing their entire search off a five-year-old photo and, effectively, blind faith that it’s Michael, who sadly is one of the hundreds that have lost their lives trying to climb the highest peak in the world.
Leaving his family behind, Matthews embarked on a month-long, life-changing trip, and in the process, has created a beautiful piece of television that makes you examine your relationship with death, and grief, not only in the aftermath but in the years following a loved one’s passing. It looks at the unbreakable bond between siblings, even after death and proves that love truly never dies.
On arrival, over an eight day trek, he follows his brother’s route to one of the most dangerous parts of the world, visiting the last pub Michael drank at and the final river he swam in. Helping Matthews in his quest is Nirmal “Nims” Purja, the 14-peak record holder and star of 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible, who lead the expedition with a 10-man search and rescue crew. It’s here that the realisation of what they’re trying to achieve in the most treacherous of conditions hits home.
As the team begins their ascent up the mountain armed with drones and the expertise to stray from summit lines, viewers are met with footage of Michael tackling the same physical feats alongside his pals, climbing the perilous Khumbu Icefall, hiking through Western Cwm before slowly making his way to the “death zone”, a place 8,000 metres above sea level where no human body can acclimatise.
Documenting his final few hours, Michael’s friend and tent buddy praises him for helping him to power through the climb before their final stretch to the summit. Shockingly, the next piece of film is of that same friend in tears as he tells the camera that Michael didn’t make it. His grief is visceral: Everest, despite her intoxicating beauty, is a cemetery.
This documentary also reveals a new side to Matthews. Unlike his absurd reality TV appearances from yesteryear, there’s no drama, forced emotion or comedy; instead he’s the caretaker of this powerful story, which allows him to be vulnerable and share his family’s grief in a considered way.
The documentary is at times raw in its delivery and several scenes – from the search and rescue team inspecting bodies frozen on the mountain to see if they are Michael, to the ending – have stuck with me.
The Matthews family and Michael’s friends must be commended for revisiting his loss in such detail, discussing his final moments, and the possible causes of his untimely death. With them you feel every moment of hope and every disappointment. It’s heartbreaking, but it’s a triumph.
