Review: Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu (2026) – Two Comedy Legends, One Inca Trail, and Plenty of Grumbling
A feel-good comedy documentary follows Bob Odenkirk and David Cross to Machu Picchu, where the real attraction is not only the view, but their thirty-year friendship.
You can have a plan. You can have a list of films you “must” see. And then, at the last minute, someone convinces you to go see something completely different. I was originally heading to another screening room for Breeder, but right before the film started, a friend sent me a text: Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu is a lot of fun. So I decided to give it a try.
As someone who hikes thousands of kilometers every year, I naturally have a soft spot for travel documentaries like this. Especially when they take place on a route that has been on my list for a long time. The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is one of those hikes I’ve been hearing about for years, seeing in photos, and quietly telling myself that next year I finally have to do it.
Bob Odenkirk has been growing on me more and more over the past few years as one of the most likeable Hollywood personalities working today. He started out as a comedian and writer, became an icon for many viewers thanks to his role as Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, and later, quite unexpectedly, turned into an action hero in Nobody. Yet he still feels very down-to-earth. He never comes across as distant, but rather as someone who is still genuinely happy to do things, try things, and simply be there. Maybe that is also why I had a slightly more personal connection to him while watching the film, as I saw him earlier this year at the premiere of Normal at South by Southwest and later listened to him for about an hour during a festival talk.
Přečtěte si: Bob Odenkirk rozjel na SXSW show: Normal má bolet, šokovat a bavit
Two comedians and thirty years of chemistry
Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu is exactly what the title promises. Bob Odenkirk and David Cross travel to Peru and follow the Inca Trail toward Machu Picchu. The film does not pretend to discover anything that has never been seen before. There is no extreme survival documentary here, no investigation, and no major study of Peruvian history. It is simply a journey of two people who share a long history, know each other well, know how to take each other down, and still clearly have a real friendship.
Their shared history goes all the way back to the cult sketch comedy series Mr. Show with Bob and David. Their chemistry feels natural, lived-in, and often very funny precisely because they have nothing left to prove to each other. At times they argue about complete nonsense, at times they grumble at each other, and at times they feel like two friends who might need a few minutes apart. But at the same time, it is obvious that there is a strong bond between them.
Fame is relative. Especially in Peru
The film also plays a little with the difference in their current levels of fame. Thanks to Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and Nobody, Odenkirk has become a widely recognizable face, while Cross remains more associated with cult comedy, dry humor, and the role of Tobias Fünke in Arrested Development. The film knows how to have fun with this, and one of its funniest scenes comes when the two of them set up a small table in a square in Peru, presenting themselves as two famous American actors and waiting for crowds of fans to rush toward them. Of course, the locals either do not know them at all, or they recognize only one of them, and the whole situation turns into a beautifully awkward comment on fame, ego, and how relative popularity really is.
The documentary is at its funniest in these smaller nuances. The humor is often built on little bits of grumbling, irony, tired reactions, and constant mutual teasing. One says something, the other shoots it down. One tries to appear prepared, the other reminds him that he does not look prepared at all. One may lean more toward adventure, the other more toward sarcasm. Together, though, it works really well.
More grumbling than survival
The hiking part is captured in a fairly light way rather than in great detail. If someone expects a deep dive into the Inca Trail, technical preparation, precise descriptions of individual sections, or a really strong hiking atmosphere, they may be a little disappointed. Personally, I would have gladly spent more time on the trail itself, the terrain, the elevation changes, the fatigue, and the way a trek like this changes a person physically and mentally. The film does touch on these things, but it never makes them the main focus as much as I perhaps would have liked. On the other hand, I understand that the goal was not to make a guide to the Inca Trail, but a comedic observation of two friends on the road.
Still, the physical side of the journey matters. The Inca Trail is not just a pretty walk through postcard scenery. High altitude, long climbs, uneven steps, fatigue, and weather can quickly remind you that even a famous tourist route can be demanding. The film does not turn this into a life-or-death drama, which is a good thing, because that would feel fake. Instead, it shows that even a feel-good bucket-list hike can give you trouble. Even a question as simple as what shoes to wear seems trivial only until you have been walking uphill for several hours and start regretting every bad decision.
Beneath this relaxed comedic layer, there is also a more personal side. Odenkirk suffered a serious heart attack while filming Better Call Saul, and although the film never forces big emotions, that knowledge gives the whole journey extra weight. It makes you think about time, aging, and the fact that some things are better done while we still can. The film does not speak about this in a sentimental way, but you can feel it somewhere in the background. And because of that, the whole adventure feels a little more sincere.
Personally, I really enjoyed spending time with them. Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu has humor, beautiful scenery, a grounded friendship, and a light melancholy that never overwhelms its easygoing mood. It is a feel-good comedy documentary in its purest form. Nothing more, nothing less. And sometimes that is exactly enough.
Rating: 7/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Documentary, Comedy
USA, 2026
Director: Michael LaHaie
Cast: Bob Odenkirk, David Cross
Trailer:
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Poster:
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