HBO’s “The Dark Wizard” Is One of the Most Gripping Documentaries I’ve Seen in Years
I always knew rock climbers were a little crazy. “The Dark Wizard” on HBO confirms it, and then some.
The four-part documentary series tells the story of Dean Potter, one of the most influential and controversial figures in the history of climbing and BASE jumping. I just finished the first episode, and I’m already hooked.
The setting is largely Yosemite, which the filmmakers use beautifully. What makes this documentary work is the sheer volume of footage they have of Potter. Drawing from decades of archival material and Dean’s own personal journals, the series pulls you inside the world of a man whose imagination and audacity redefined what the body and mind could do. He understood early on that filming his pursuits was how he’d sustain a career, and that decision is what makes this doc so immersive.
What struck me most in the first episode is the culture surrounding Potter and his circle of Yosemite climbers. These were punk rock people in the truest sense: anti-establishment, living outside the rules, with a philosophy toward life that was equal parts inspiring and alarming.
The storyline around losing his Patagonia sponsorship is also fascinating. It wasn’t just a financial blow. It triggered a chain reaction that ultimately contributed to the end of his marriage, and after that, Potter seemed to free solo everything in sight. His friends describe a manic energy that is hard to watch and impossible to look away from.
The episode ends with a tightrope-walking sequence that is one of the most tense things I have ever watched on screen. Potter is crossing between two massive rock formations, no tether, no safety connection. He falls. Multiple times. And catches himself. When the camera looks down, it’s a 2,000-foot drop to certain death. I had to remind myself to breathe.
That’s the thing about Dean Potter. The line between life and death wasn’t a risk to him. It was the drug. And like any addict, he couldn’t stop chasing it.
“The Dark Wizard” is streaming now on HBO and Max. Now, excuse me while I go watch the second episode.
