When it comes to art, how far would you go to create something without precedent? In the wake of Alex Honnold’s Taipei 101 climb, the combination of scaling massive manmade structures with guerrilla photography takes center stage in “Drift,” a documentary carrying the pseudonym of one such photographer and the literal heights he’s willing to tackle in an effort to capture the world in a way few will ever be able to witness firsthand. It’s part autobiography, part legal drama, at times both thrilling and heartbreaking.
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Born to parents who were only together for the sake of their children, young Isaac Wright displayed an aptitude for any task laid before him, from athletics to artistry, and after serving in the military following high school, a medical condition led to his discharge and paved the way for his immediate shift into photography. Impulse leads him to begin climbing buildings, where, upon reaching the summit, his camera comes out; the video shot during the climb will also find its way to an online audience, one that’s soon to appreciate both forms of media.
As his presence grows, so does the boldness of each respective feat, with a signature shot of his red Vans-clad feet dangling over the ledge of the tower, bridge, or skyscraper he’s scaled. From notable ascents of the Ambassador Bridge, connecting Michigan and Ontario, to the likes of the Great American Ball Park and beyond, the only limit might well lie between Wright’s own imagination and sheer audacity, but by now, you might be wondering, is all this legal?
Unsurprisingly, it never was, setting up the film’s second act and a noticeable shift from Wright’s (now sporting the moniker Drift) backstory to an avalanche of arrests, incarceration, and the possibility of significant prison time in multiple states, with charges ranging from trespassing to burglary. With a devoted lawyer at his side and a detective with an MO focused on highlighting Wright’s military training and how it might support further malfeasance, he’s quick to tell Wright of the likelihood he’ll never see the outside of a jail cell again.
Luckily, a fortuitous PR spin, thanks to a well-timed article in The New York Times, further elevates Wright’s profile. However, his arrests cannot help but draw comparisons to recent events, as coincidentally relevant as George Floyd’s. It all leads to his biggest endeavor yet, one born of tragedy, and if you think you know how it might end, you may be surprised.
Make no mistake, the heist-style structure of Wright’s climbs, which uses a mix of police bodycam and building surveillance footage alongside Wright’s GoPro, delivers several edge-of-your-seat moments as riveting as any Hollywood blockbuster. His struggles mid-climb, whether worrying out loud about sudden changes in the weather, the path he needs to take, or the route back down, always one step away from certain death, render him as human as anyone else; he’s no professional, especially with his lack of climbing-specific footwear, rain-drenched pants, and hardly a climbing harness to be found.
He is, however, aware enough to train specifically, as seen at one point doing upper-body workouts with weights attached to simulate climbing with his camera gear in tow. Interviews interspersed throughout, mostly with him and his father, usually accompany home video capturing Wright’s childhood and the wide-eyed boy he once was. Yet, in every moment Wright occupies the screen, that child can still be seen, seemingly never having left, likely rising to the surface as he takes on every climb.
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“Drift” has it all, but even as it dances freely between genres, the film unceasingly maintains its focus on Wright’s dreams, the soul beneath the skin, and the life he wants versus the one he’s left behind. Wright himself is a compelling subject from start to finish, further powering the narrative, and if the goal was to shed light on his body of work, it’s more than succeeded. These photos, just like the man behind the lens, are nothing short of pure magic. [A]
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