The Mountain Between Us

Today, we’re recapping a movie titled “The Mountain Between Us.” Alex Martin, a journalist, came to Idaho to cover a news story about skinheads and neo-Nazis. After finishing her work, she rushed to the airport but was a little late, navigating her way through the security check. Although she requested to be expedited, the flight from Idaho to Denver got canceled due to bad weather. Realizing her wedding was approaching, she informed her fiance, Mark, about the delay, assuring him that she’d resolve the situation and return to New York on time. With her wedding scheduled for the next day, she was determined to reach Denver at any cost to catch a safe flight to New York.

In Denver, she met Dr. Ben Bass, who had come for a medical conference. Ben couldn’t wait for the next flight because a 10-year-old child in Baltimore needed him for a complex operation. Hearing about Ben’s situation, Alex offered a solution—a private jet with a daring pilot, Walter, who had experienced war and seen a lot in his life. Walter fearlessly agreed to fly, believing that only bullets could stop him. Unworried by the still-light conditions and not wanting to bother with the flight control center, Walter brought his dog along for the journey.

During the trip, Ben and Alex got to know each other better, sharing pleasant conversations. However, the flight took a terrifying turn when Walter suffered a seizure, losing control of the aircraft. The plane sharply descended and crashed into a snow-covered mountain, splitting in half. Despite the emergency landing, Alex and Ben both survived, but Ben discovered he had broken ribs when he woke up later.

Alex is unconscious with a leg injury, so Ben carefully splints and immobilizes her limb. Thankfully, the dog, Berry, is unharmed, but unfortunately, the pilot didn’t survive the crash. Both Alex’s phone and Ben’s smartphone have no connection, making it impossible to call for help or rescue. Seeing fuel dripping from the wreckage, they collect some diesel fuel to start a fire and keep warm. Early in the morning, Ben attempts to call for help by leaving the plane, but they soon realize they are stranded in the middle of snow-capped mountains. Ben focuses on maintaining the fire and treating Alex’s leg while giving the pilot a proper burial nearby.

In the evening, Alex woke up feeling disoriented and unsure of her surroundings. Ben helps her regain her senses and calms her down, explaining what happened. Walter disagreed on their route but managed to get in touch, leading Ben to suggest staying put inside the plane and waiting for help. They have enough water and a small supply of food, so venturing out and risking their lives isn’t necessary.

Early in the morning, Ben spots a passing plane and attempts to signal for help. Alex uses a flare gun and fires a shot, desperately calling for assistance, but no one seems to notice the flare. Time passes without any help arriving. Alex needs assistance to go to the toilet, but Ben understands that they can’t afford to wait any longer. With three days passed and food supplies dwindling, they decide to explore the area. Alex is willing to go hiking, but Ben stops her, opting to venture to a nearby mountain range. Alex hands him a camera and promises to understand if he doesn’t return. Despite the situation, Ben assures her he won’t leave her and promises to come back.

As Ben heads to the top of the mountain range, Alex goes through his belongings and finds a voice recorder, learning that his wife recently left him, leaving him feeling lonely. Meanwhile, Ben reaches the top and realizes the challenging situation they’re in, with no visible road to the village, only surrounded by mountains. On his way back, he nearly falls into an abyss but miraculously survives. At the same time, a cougar discovers the crashed plane, attracted by the smell of fresh meat. Barry reacts aggressively towards the wild cat, and a confrontation ensues. The cougar injures Barry and tries to enter the plane to get to Alex. To protect herself, Alex loads her signal flare and shoots, scaring off the cougar. Upon hearing the gunshot, Ben hurries back, finding blood trails and realizing Barry is injured and needs help. Ben tends to the dog’s wounds, earning Alex’s admiration.

The next morning, Ben takes a walk and finds the cougar dead from its injuries. In the evening, he prepares a feast by cooking wild animal meat on a fire. Ben suggests they continue waiting for help, as they have enough food for at least ten more days. However, Alex believes they should venture down to seek a signal or find someone to help them. This leads to an argument between Alex and Ben, and the man decides to go to bed, unwilling to continue the discussion. A week has passed since the crash, and Alex concludes that waiting any longer is pointless. Early in the morning, she packs her gear and, despite Ben’s protests, sets out into the valley with Barry. Later, Ben wakes up to find himself alone, discovering a farewell note but decides not to leave yet and writes an SOS in the snow, realizing it won’t make a difference.

Soon, Ben goes after Alex and finds the tail of the crashed plane. All this time, he hoped the distress signal was transmitted, but he realizes the wires were broken. A couple of hours later, Ben catches up with Alex and supports her plan to seek help. After several days on the road, they slowly descend to the tree level and decide to find shelter. Discovering a cave, they make a fire and take care of each other. At night, Alex feels cold, so Ben lies down next to her, knowing they cannot be alone and must stick together to survive.

In the morning, Alex notices a strange reflection of light in the camera lens. Realizing they have only enough food for three days, they continue their journey, knowing it’s their last hope. After almost a full day on the road, they reach a cliff and face a dead end. Ben suggests looking for another way down, and though Alex has doubts, she supports his decision, knowing the other paths are deadly.

As night falls, they set up camp again, building a fire to keep warm. With no connection, they conserve their phone’s charge. Alex requests music to relax and calm down. In the morning, they continue their descent. At some point, Ben asks for a farewell photo, but Alex declines, having experienced pain taking photos of a girl just before her death. She wants to avoid such sensations again and suggests heading toward the place of the sun’s reflection they saw the day before. After a stop, they admit they’ve grown accustomed to the cold and somewhat enjoy being in their challenging situation.

Ben realizes the dog is missing and goes looking for him. He spots a hunting lodge and returns to Alex to share the discovery. At that moment, Alex hears cracking ice beneath her feet and falls into a frozen lake, but Ben saves her and brings her to the lodge. After quickly warming her up, Ben rehydrates her and administers a snake bite antidote, hoping to revive her.

A few days later, Alex wakes up to a snowstorm outside, forcing them to stay in the lodge and gather strength. Despite feeling hopeless, Ben promises to find a way to save her life. In the morning, he goes to the forest to cut down trees and notices a hair. The dog attempts to catch dinner but hides faster than Ben can catch him.

Meanwhile, Alex listens to Ben’s voice recorder and hears a recording of his wife. Seeing the recorder in Alex’s hands angers Ben, thinking she just wants to get closer to him. He listens to the recording until the end, revealing that his wife left him three years ago, but he still wears a wedding ring. Ben leaves to calm down and come to terms with his loneliness.

Later, he returns, planning to leave for firewood, but Alex convinces him to stay. She feels guilty and asks for forgiveness before kissing him. Sensing mutual affection, Ben kisses her back, and they make love. The next morning, Ben decides to share the secrets of his past: his wife didn’t leave him; they were happy together until she fell ill. She was diagnosed with a brain tumor and became his patient, but sadly, he couldn’t save her.

Alex realizes that the road must be nearby, but continuing the journey together is difficult and lengthy. She asks Ben to leave her in the house alone and go for help, as he has more strength and can find people. After listening, Ben leaves but quickly realizes he can’t leave Alex behind. He returns to the hunting lodge and insists she come with him. Despite her leg injury causing difficulty in walking, the couple perseveres on their way. After another stop, they embrace and fall asleep in the middle of the forest.

Barry tries to wake Ben up by pushing him into the snow. Just when Alex and Ben were on the verge of giving up, they spot a sawmill in the distance, motivating them to continue their journey. They lose the dog again, prompting Ben to search for him but ending up caught in a hunting trap. Unable to walk, Ben asks Alex to seek help. Using the last of her strength, she notices a truck carrying firewood and pleads for the driver to stop, to no avail.

Sometime later, Ben wakes up in the hospital and immediately goes in search of Alex, finding her in a neighboring room. They are glad to have survived, and Ben wants to kiss Alex, but he overhears that her fiance Mark has already arrived. Realizing he’s a third wheel, Ben thanks Alex for saving him and leaves. Alex is afraid to admit her feelings and remains silent. Back home, Ben attempts to resume his old life with his dog Barry, feeling lonely despite recovery.

Evenings are spent in the company of his four-legged friend, but he still feels alone.

After her mountain ordeal, Alex returns to her old life, spending time with friends and at the pool, but she can’t shake the feeling of missing Ben. She calls him, but he ignores her calls, despite falling in love with her. Mark and others constantly remind Alex of her long absence in the mountains, wanting to see photos of her adventure. However, she’s reluctant to share her personal experiences and emotions. Struggling to sleep at night, Alex decides to get rid of everything related to the mountain accident, except for the film from the camera containing memories of her time with Ben and Barry.

After printing some pictures, she sends them to Ben, who calls her back and proposes to meet in a café. The next day, they meet and realize they lead completely different lives. Ben shares how he can no longer operate, while Alex admits she’s now afraid of going to hot spots and airplanes, even calling off her wedding with Mark due to their differences. Ben is upset that she didn’t share this sooner, as he wouldn’t have ignored her calls if he knew. After discussing everything, they conclude that their time together was lost, and love may have stayed in the mountains. They part ways after leaving the restaurant, but a minute later, with tears in their eyes, they can’t bear to be apart any longer, and they reunite in a heartfelt embrace. And that’s where the movie ends.