Tribeca 2026: Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu (dir. Michael LaHaie) | Review
For fans of Mr. Show, the reunion of Bob Odenkirk and David Cross in Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu is a must-see. For everyone else, it’s a documentary with a few funny moments, a few heartfelt ones, and that is carried by the charisma and chemistry between the famous friends, but rarely pushes into a level beyond two friends riffing.
Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu, which had its world premiere at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival, is exactly what its name would suggest: The documentary follows comedians Odenkirk and Cross, who hosted the Mr. Show sketch comedy series in the ‘90s, as they spend four days on a hike up Machu Picchu. The camera captures their various shenanigans in Peru as they chat about their careers and growing older as friends.
If you’ve never seen Mr. Show, you’d probably recognize one or both of the names involved. Cross gained popularity across the gamut of comedy, from the sitcom Arrested Development, to franchises like Alvin and the Chipmunks, to indies like Lucy Schulman (which also premiered at Tribeca this year). Odenkirk’s career, on the other hand, found a huge second wind in drama with Breaking Bad then Better Call Saul, followed by a more recent turn to action with movies like Nobody. The documentary makes it a point that the duo have stayed good friends throughout the years, despite diverging careers — there’s also a running bit of fans only recognizing Odenkirk, since his popular roles are more recent.
The film is mostly a linear vlog of the four-day-long trail, but the film never tries to be fully immersive: Much of the footage follows the two actors effortfully hiking up the steps, as they crack jokes back and forth, and often try to include the silent camera crew trailing behind them. They poke fun at the fact that the crew are carrying most of their things, and joke about how they’re actually faking the entire hike from a soundstage in Atlanta. The film feels lighthearted as a result, though it means the physical strain or drama of the hike never really comes through.
These vlog moments of the hike are accompanied with voiceover from the actors, to provide context on moments in the hike and to reflect on their history as comedians and as friends. Footage of the actors is shown, especially when filling in about the history of Mr. Show — viewers unfamiliar with either actor will still be able to keep up. The actors are also miked at all times, which is used to comedic effect in a recurring gag where Odenkirk mumbles about his urge to kill people every time he’s using the bathroom.
There are many introspective moments, too, especially when Odenkirk and Cross are asked to reflect on their personal lives — on aging, becoming parents, and their tumultuous relationships with their fathers. A memorably heartfelt moment includes Odenkirk reflecting on his heart attack in 2021 on the set of Better Call Saul, describing it as a wake-up call in his life, and Cross talking about how the event left him sleepless for days, — which he turns into a joke about how he’s fully pre-grieved, so if Odenkirk actually dies he won’t be sad at all.
Though the documentary is centered around a hike, its contents are a haphazard mix of random bits, reflections on life, and more standard documentary fare about Mr. Show and their comedy careers. As a result, the film feels like a movie the two stars made for themselves, and anyone watching is incidental.
About why they decided to film their hike as a documentary, Cross says, “We always look for chances to make shit together.” Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu never arrives at any revelations about each of its two stars or their long relationship, but the obvious joy Odenkirk and Cross get out of riffing for 80 minutes undoubtedly bleeds through to the viewing experience.
Our team is on site for the 25th Tribeca Film Festival, from June 3 to 14, 2026.
