076 Free Solo & Taipei 101
Tue Feb 03 2026
In this episode of the Cinemental Podcast, a filmmaker and a psychiatrist break down Free Solo—exploring thrill-seeking behavior, fear, obsession, and the ethics of documentary filmmaking when the stakes are literally life and death.
Is something psychologically wrong with Alex Honnold—or are we misunderstanding what extreme focus and risk really look like?
We dig into Alex Honnold’s mindset, his climbing ability, how fear works in the brain, and whether thrill-seeking is a sign of depression, disorder, or something else entirely. Along the way, we debate whether Free Solo crossed an ethical line by filming an ascent where a single mistake meant death—and what responsibility filmmakers carry when documenting extreme risk.
This conversation goes beyond climbing and into bigger questions about mental health, control, obsession, and why humans are drawn to stories where success and death sit side by side.
02:00 - Topics
03:50 - Sponsor - Pants Pourri
05:13 - Film Summary
06:09 - Psychiatrist's Impressions
07:40 - Filmmaker's Impressions
09:57 - How Good is Alex?
13:52 - Does Alex feel fear?
16:41 - Is Neurodivergence passed down genetically?
19:12 - Can You Measure Fear in an MRI?
22:09 - Train Yourself Away From Fear
25:50 - Is Thrill Seeking A Sign of Depression?
28:50 - What is an Ethical Documentary?
39:22 - Jeff's Ethics
44:03 - Top 5 - Win or Die Movies & TV Shows
49:31 - BONUS Top 5 - Josh's List of Alex' Next Climbs
Cinemental is a podcast where movies meet the mind. Each episode dives beneath the surface of pop culture’s most iconic films and characters to uncover the psychology, emotion, and hidden meaning behind what we watch. Hosted by brothers Jeff and Dr. Josh, Cinemental blends film analysis with real-world mental health insight — exploring why stories stick with us, what they reveal about human behavior, and how cinema can help us understand ourselves. It’s part film school, part therapy session, and all heart — where every movie tells us something about being human.
Feel free to email us at brothers@cinementalpodcast.com
Subscribe on YouTube to never miss an episode, or click below to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts
https://linktr.ee/cinemental
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In this episode of the Cinemental Podcast, a filmmaker and a psychiatrist break down Free Solo—exploring thrill-seeking behavior, fear, obsession, and the ethics of documentary filmmaking when the stakes are literally life and death. Is something psychologically wrong with Alex Honnold—or are we misunderstanding what extreme focus and risk really look like? We dig into Alex Honnold’s mindset, his climbing ability, how fear works in the brain, and whether thrill-seeking is a sign of depression, disorder, or something else entirely. Along the way, we debate whether Free Solo crossed an ethical line by filming an ascent where a single mistake meant death—and what responsibility filmmakers carry when documenting extreme risk. This conversation goes beyond climbing and into bigger questions about mental health, control, obsession, and why humans are drawn to stories where success and death sit side by side. 02:00 - Topics 03:50 - Sponsor - Pants Pourri 05:13 - Film Summary 06:09 - Psychiatrist's Impressions 07:40 - Filmmaker's Impressions 09:57 - How Good is Alex? 13:52 - Does Alex feel fear? 16:41 - Is Neurodivergence passed down genetically? 19:12 - Can You Measure Fear in an MRI? 22:09 - Train Yourself Away From Fear 25:50 - Is Thrill Seeking A Sign of Depression? 28:50 - What is an Ethical Documentary? 39:22 - Jeff's Ethics 44:03 - Top 5 - Win or Die Movies & TV Shows 49:31 - BONUS Top 5 - Josh's List of Alex' Next Climbs Cinemental is a podcast where movies meet the mind. Each episode dives beneath the surface of pop culture’s most iconic films and characters to uncover the psychology, emotion, and hidden meaning behind what we watch. Hosted by brothers Jeff and Dr. Josh, Cinemental blends film analysis with real-world mental health insight — exploring why stories stick with us, what they reveal about human behavior, and how cinema can help us understand ourselves. It’s part film school, part therapy session, and all heart — where every movie tells us something about being human. Feel free to email us at brothers@cinementalpodcast.com Subscribe on YouTube to never miss an episode, or click below to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts https://linktr.ee/cinemental