Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu (dir. Michael LaHaie)

By: Adam Freed

Few sketch comedy shows have found a way to centralize a very niche corner of the comedic market like HBO’s Mr. Show, a delightfully countercultural program that ran from 1995-1998.  The brain trust behind the cutting edge series, Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad) and David Cross (Arrested Development, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotted Mind), despite no longer working together with consistency, remain fast friends.  Despite both comedians having crossed the threshold of 60 years on Earth, there is a lingering sense of adventure, and an abundance of physical overconfidence, that the two still share.  The sporadic nature of the duo’s ongoing friendship, in addition to a healthy dose of personal reflection, are playfully and, at times, sentimentally captured within the slim 80 minutes of Michael LaHaie’s travel documentary, Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu.  

There is no shortage of humorous moments when it comes to traveling to Peru with Odenkirk and Cross to, as the apt title suggests, climb the world famous ruins of Machu Picchu.  One moment that stands as the near perfect epitomization of the duo’s self-deprecating brand of creativity witnesses Cross and Odenkirk sitting at an undersized folding table in the middle the town square of a rural Peruvian village  nested somewhere in the foothills of the Andean Mountain Range.  As if to willfully highlight how few Peruvians pay attention to their careers, the two just sit welcoming odd looks and ridicule for an uncomfortable amount of time before a Brazilian traveler, and fan of Odenkirk’s  Breaking Bad, put an end to their self imposed misery, and to the creative joke.  What Michael LaHaie (Running With the Wolves) captures so impressively is not only stunning vistas of the Andes Mountains on the four day hike in pursuit of Machu Picchu, but also the lifelong friendship shared between the two comedians who unearth the highs and lows of their careers and personal lives, revealing that a bucket list trip that neither felt would ever be possible, may in fact be exactly what both of men needed desperately.

Shortly after surviving a major health scare in 2021, Bob Odenkirk had all of the evidence he needed that he would not, in fact, live forever.  So despite the two stents that now support his heart, the 61 year old leapt at the chance to join his long-time collaborator on the journey of a lifetime.  Although their hike never feels particularly perilous, as they are joined by good natured hiking guide José for the duration of their adventure, each step of their journey seems to simultaneously unburden and empower both men.  Two aging comedians sharing barbs while looking fondly back upon their shared careers while huffing and puffing their way to Machu Picchu may not seem like the most invigorating concept for a documentary, and yet, there is something touching about Odenkirk and Cross’ friendship in addition to the nature of their wherewithal that renders Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu a journey worth taking.

Target Score 7/10 - Despite the meandering nature of their individual careers, Bob Odenkirk and David Cross have been household names in the world of comedy for decades.  In Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu, the pair peel back the layers of their longstanding friendship while embarking on a once in a lifetime journey together. 

Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu was reviewed as part of Movie Archer's coverage of the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival.