Bob Odenkirk and David Cross Climb Machu Picchu With Varying Sized Pillows (Exclusive)

Bob Odenkirk and David Cross (Tribeca)

It really does come down to the size of the pillow. It's certainly not to take away from the major accomplishments that Bob Odenkirk and David Cross completed during their new documentary, Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu, which premiered this past Saturday at Tribeca Film Festival.

But Bob's climb counts a little bit more, and we all know it.

The documentary is an exciting feature, filmed during the four day trek the Mr. Show duo took in 2024, spurred by both Cross' lifelong want to climb the fabled mountains and Odenkirk's near-fatal heart attack in 2021 during filming of Better Call Saul. The two spend the majority of the film reflecting on fatherhood, life, and most importantly, the fragility of life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUedMUXeyfQ

The documentary, premiering in front of a sold out crowd at SVA Theater, was an intimate journey into the careers and lives of two men who bonded over the same absurd humor approach and, after spending years missing the other, decided they'd take the quest together.

Directed to near perfection by Michael LaHaie, the film was equal parts humor and reality, as the two reflected on their careers and lives. In a statement to Foundation, LaHaie said that the two were going to do the hike with or without cameras, and their job was to not ruin it.

"That was the first thing that pulled me in; the challenge of respecting their original

intentions while also finding a way to capture the unguarded dynamics and history these guys share."

LaHaie said the other major concern was the lack of oxygen at the high altitudes, but they were able to capture the beauty of the journey with plenty of air left over.

"Fortunately, that wasn’t the issue, and though it concerned our guide Jose from time to time, the guys talked almost constantly, allowing us to observe a friendship built on a deep reservoir of jokes, sharp personal insight, life-and-death scares, and hard-earned mutual affection."

For every Robert Durst reference, arguably the funniest bit in the entire film, there's a deep reverence felt from one to the other as they ponder the why of life. The film reminds you how fragile and finite life is, reinforced by the photos of Odenkirk in the hospital post-heart attack and Cross' response upon hearing the news.

During the red carpet prior to the film's premiere, Odenkirk told me who David Cross is, after years of friendship and their quest together.

"David Cross is a very great man. He's a great dad. He's a great human, and he's a great American."

When asked what's next for Odenkirk, he stated the obvious after news of him jokingly pulling out of the ill fated Freedom 250 concert.

"Freedom 350. 100 years from now I'll be in that. This time I'm not going to cancel."

There is currently no information on when Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu will be released domestically or on streaming services.