The Big Picture

Skywalkers: A Love Story boasts breathtaking cinematography that immerses you in the story.
The directors effectively build tension throughout, showing the legal and physical risks of this sport.
Some of the real-world issues surrounding the subjects get glossed over, leaving it mostly touching on only simple ideas.

Acrophobia, or the fear of heights, is one of the most common sources of anxiety. As someone who dreads even getting on a ladder, I know it well. If you suffer from said condition, Skywalkers: A Love Storymight be the horror of the year for you, Longlegs be damned. But it also might be the documentary and romance of the year, too, with breathtaking footage that has to be seen to be believed and a compelling dynamic between its dual protagonists.

Skywalkers: A Love Story (2024) Skywalkers: A Love Story is a documentary that follows the daring exploits of rooftopping sensations Angela Nikolau and Vanya Beerkus. The film chronicles their attempt to scale the Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur, the world’s second-highest skyscraper, and perform a death-defying acrobatic stunt on its spire. As they navigate personal and professional challenges, this visually stunning documentary captures their journey to salvage both their career and relationships through a series of high-stakes adventures.Release Date January 18, 2024 Director Jeff Zimbalist Cast Angela Nikolau , Ivan Beerkus

What is ‘Skywalkers: A Love Story’ About?

The dual protagonists in question are Angela Nikolau and Vanya Beerkus, two Russian rooftoppers — people who climb tall urban buildings and often post the footage online for the world to see. Beerkus becomes one of the biggest names in the strange business due to his social media content, which is how he catches the attention of Nikolau, who aspires to build her own presence and platform.

The two reach new heights (pun very intended) when they join forces, with Beerkus’ technical and strategic skills and Nikolau’s artistic and creative touch making them unstoppable. The followers and sponsorships pour in, and soon, the two are traveling all over the world — and catching feelings for one another. Unfortunately, the inherent stress of the job, the juggling of being both creative and romantic partners, and world events like COVID threaten to spoil the untraditional fairytale. It’s up to the two of them to overcome these obstacles — and over 2,000 feet — as they embark on their most ambitious climb yet to fight for their place at the top and their relationship at the same time.

‘Skywalkers: A Love Story’ Is Stunning and Suspenseful

The visuals in Skywalkers: A Love Story are jaw-dropping to the point that it’s almost difficult to comprehend what you’re seeing. It’s a true feast for the eyes, with each photo and piece of footage showcasing endless seas of small buildings set against the vast blue sky more impressive than the last. Simply getting to the top of these places is unthinkable, and the stunts Nikolau and Beerkus do are impressive, even on the relative safety of the ground. To see the two combined? It’s unbelievable and would be thought impossible if we weren’t given a front-row seat to their process step-by-step. Skywalking is an athletic and artistic feat alike, and we get the pleasure of seeing them train for both aspects.

But skywalking is also dangerous — not to mention illegal — and the film smartly never lets the audience forget the peril involved. A sense of danger permeates the documentary, with harrowing footage of people falling to their deaths peppered throughout and references to old friends who have passed away attempting the very thing we are seeing the pair actively work toward. Nikolau’s very understandable panic attacks are on full display, as are her injuries — a stark reminder that they are not invincible or immune to paralyzing anxiety. They’re only human, just like the rest of us. “Our full potential,” Nikolau notes at one point, “is on the other side of fear.”

The two aren’t shy about talking about potential legal ramifications either — especially in countries with strict vandalism laws. Some of its best scenes feel ripped straight out of a heist film. There are foot chases and high-stakes games of hide-and-seek as they try to hide from security, where one single cough could mean the difference between a successful mission and years in prison. It’s tense and intense, as you feel like you’re right there with them, your heart pounding in your ears.

Watching the preparation is just as riveting as the strategy behind these climbs is fascinating. Directors Jeff Zimbalist and Maria Bukhonina do an excellent job stylishly having Nikolau and Beerkus walk us through the best way to distract security dogs, outline why you should utilize staff elevators, and the best ways to blend in and act like you belong in any given place — not to mention how they figure out the best entrances and dates to perform these risky tricks. Even watching them practice the stunts themselves is interesting, unfolding like a training montage in a sports movie. (One highly important lift calls Dirty Dancing to mind.)

‘Skywalkers: A Love Story’s Romance Helps Keep It Grounded
Image via Netflix 

Skywalkers: A Love Story has a larger-than-life premise and aesthetic. That’s what will likely initially draw people in. However, viewers will stay for the small-scale focus on Nikolau and Beerkus’ relationship. While the vast majority of us can’t relate to climbing 118-story buildings, we can relate to wanting to protect the people we love and the struggle to open up and trust. We can also relate to bickering with a significant other, though the fact they do it while thousands of feet in the air adds drama but also a bit of comedy. They really made it look so easy.

Right away, the film gets us invested in the people behind the profession. We learn that Nikolau comes from a circus family — something she remembers as a magical place where her parents lived their dreams before separating. But we also learn that her childhood impacts her ability to fully lean on Beerkus emotionally (and, at times, even physically), her mother falling into a deep depression after her father left, and her grandmother instilling the fact that she can only rely on herself. Nikolau also must fight against sexism, as rooftopping is a male-dominated sport, with many of them excluding her. But Nikolau proves determined, deciding to become better than them and prove herself as one of the greats. Her obsession with legacy — with being remembered after she’s gone — is deeply affecting and hits close to home.

We don’t get to know Beerkus quite as well as his background is more thinly sketched. His parents argued a lot, and he began to join kids who would break onto rooftops to drink. Beerkus’ priority, however, wasn’t the alcohol, but rather, the exploring. “This extreme life — this expanded state of mind — is essential for me,” he says. He’s an adrenaline junkie, that’s for sure, but he also has an irresistible gentleness about him. He’s tender toward Nikolau, and it’s lovely to see, despite causing friction, with her claiming he’s grown too overprotective. The two have an undeniable chemistry and connection when they first meet, though it’s quite shy, and that makes it all the sweeter to watch it grow into something more confident and passionate.

The film stumbles a bit when it comes to weaving in the current events of the time. We hear that COVID has made it virtually impossible to do their jobs, causing them to pivot in the meantime until travel opens back up, but we don’t delve too deeply into how the pandemic and being trapped together in a confined space impacted their dynamic or potentially contributed to their relationship problems. In fact, we fast-forward through many years, basically skipping a large and crucial point in time that feels like it changed everything. The Russia-Ukraine war, too, is touched on, but its effects aren’t examined closely — something that seems rather important, especially considering Beerkus is part Ukrainian and is torn about where he should live, especially considering the censorship he now faces in Russia. The fact that part of it then comes off like an advertisement for their NFTs is vaguely uncomfortable, feeling a bit out of place and salesy with how authentic the rest comes across.

Consequently, the message we’re left with is satisfying enough if a bit oversimplified — one of love conquering all and inner belief being the most important thing. It’s a bit of a cliché theme for such an original movie otherwise, but it is a classic for a reason, and it is mostly effective. There’s an edgier, grittier, and more thought-provoking movie hiding in here somewhere — about chasing adrenaline and the commodification of your body, safety, and existence — but what we get is still plenty entertaining. It’s a beautiful story in an even more beautiful package that proves we should never stop holding out our hands and reaching for the sky — or one another.

Skywalkers: A Love Story (2024) ‘Skywalkers: A Love Story’ has a simple message, but its visuals and subjects are extraordinary.ProsBreathtaking cinematography immerses you into the story.Directors Jeff Zimbalist and Maria Bukhonina effectively build tension, never letting you forget the legal and physical risks of the job.Angela Nikolau and Vanya Beerkus make for compelling and relatable subjects. ConsSome of the real-world issues affecting the duo are glossed over.The message is cliché and simple, forgoing more thought-provoking conversation about adrenaline chasing and exploitation.

Skywalkers: A Love Story is now available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.

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