What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedHigh Crimes
Michael Kodas · Book · 2008
If you loved High Crimes, start with Everest (Baltasar Kormákur, 2015) — a film on the same thread. Below: 3 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to High Crimes across media.
What hooked you in High Crimes is the unsettling way that extreme, high-stakes environments inevitably expose human greed, corruption, and systemic moral decay.
Films on the same thread
Everest
Baltasar Kormákur · Film · 2015
Explores: Man vs. Nature, Extreme Endurance, Tragedy.
Like High Crimes, this film strips away the romanticism of mountaineering to reveal the brutal reality of how obsession and nature collide when people push past their physical limits.
The Summit of the Gods
Patrick Imbert · Film · 2021
Explores: obsession, the price of ambition, human vs nature.
This film mirrors the investigative spirit of High Crimes by pairing the physical challenge of Everest with an obsessive, dark search for truth amidst the history of mountain climbing.
High Sierra
Film · 1941
Explores: Redemption, Fatalism, Criminal Code.
High Crimes connects to this classic noir through the shared theme of a criminal underworld where fatalism and the pressure of a last job dictate a desperate character's path.
Series on the same thread
Tokyo Vice
J.T. Rogers · Series · 2022
Explores: Culture Clash, Corruption, Expatriate Experience.
If the journalistic immersion of High Crimes captivated you, this series offers a similar deep dive into a foreign culture to expose deep-seated corruption and the price of truth.
Weeds
Jenji Kohan · Series · 2005
Explores: Single Motherhood, Moral Ambiguity, Criminal Enterprise.
Much like the subjects in High Crimes, the protagonist here finds herself trapped by the moral ambiguity of a criminal enterprise that spirals far beyond her initial expectations.
Prime Suspect
Lynda La Plante · Series · 1991
Explores: Gender Inequality, Workplace Discrimination, Ambition.
This series captures the same intense, claustrophobic atmosphere found in High Crimes, focusing on an ambitious individual struggling against a corrupt, male-dominated system to uncover the actual facts.
Mayday
André Barro · Series · 2003
Explores: Aviation Accidents, Investigation, Human Error.
The analytical approach to disaster in this series echoes the investigative rigor of High Crimes, highlighting how human error and systemic failure lead to inevitable, life-altering tragedies.
Podcasts on the same thread
Crime in Sports
James Pietragallo, Jimmie Whisman · Podcast · 2026
Explores: athlete misconduct, legal absurdity, scandalous behavior.
This show takes the intersection of high-profile success and criminal behavior examined in High Crimes and explores the dark, absurd reality of how fame does not exempt individuals from law.
Up and Vanished
Tenderfoot TV · Podcast · 2026
Explores: missing persons, small town secrets, pursuit of truth.
This podcast mirrors the investigative journalism of High Crimes by traveling to a remote, unforgiving environment to uncover the hidden secrets and dark truths behind mysterious disappearances.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is High Crimes a fictional story?
No, High Crimes is a work of journalism written by Michael Kodas. It provides a factual account of the changing environment on Mount Everest following the publication of Into Thin Air, specifically documenting how the influx of wealthy climbers has introduced crime to the mountain.
What is the main focus of High Crimes?
High Crimes focuses on the transformation of Mount Everest and the criminal activities that have emerged due to the presence of wealthy climbers. Michael Kodas investigates how these human elements have made the mountain as dangerous as the natural conditions found at such high altitudes.
Who is the author of High Crimes?
The book High Crimes was written by journalist Michael Kodas. Published in 2008, the work offers a detailed examination of the modern climbing culture on Mount Everest and the various dangers, both environmental and human, that climbers face in this high-altitude setting.
Does High Crimes cover events before or after Into Thin Air?
High Crimes covers events that occurred in the years following the publication of Into Thin Air. Michael Kodas uses this timeline to illustrate how the landscape of Mount Everest has shifted as the mountain became a destination for an increasing number of wealthy climbers.