Yet the moments in their personal lives seem far less grounded in reality, feeling more like a Bravo TV show or short videos created for TikTok or Instagram. Angela and Vanya are influencers, and what we see in these scenes looks more like content than cinema. Their relationship is meant to add drama and meaning to Skywalkers: A Love Story<\/em>, but it never reaches the heights of their achievements as skywalkers. Every minute they are falling in love or fighting takes away from the thrills of the action sequences, which are truly impressive.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The irony of Netflix acquiring Skywalkers: A Love Story<\/em> at Sundance means that while more people will see this documentary than likely would have if it had gotten a theater-focused distributor, they won\u2019t watch it in a way that will truly wow them to the fullest extent. Seeing the dizziness-inducing Free Solo<\/em> on a big screen was an epic experience for this acrophobe, and while Skywalkers: A Love Story<\/em> made my heart beat a little faster at times, it was like a light jog compared to Free Solo<\/em>\u2019s all-out sprint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Directed by Jeff Zimbalist, Skywalkers: A Love Story<\/em> shares how Angela and Vanya found their passion for rooftopping and for each other, culminating in their attempt to get to the top of Merdeka. This Malaysian skyscraper is the second-tallest in the world, and its construction offers the couple an opportunity that risks their lives, their freedom, and their relationship, as they plan how to escape the eyes of security in the illegal ascent and get to the top of its 2,228-foot-tall spire. The logistics of the effort, schemes to avoid detection, and inherent sense of danger make it feel like a heist movie, similar to Man on Wire<\/em> over a decade ago. However, the ones being conned aren\u2019t limited to the building owners, security teams, or construction workers who may catch them in the act. There are also the marks who want to purchase the NFTs that Angela and Vanya intend to create from their stunts once they reach the summit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet it isn\u2019t just enough to get to the top; Angela\u2019s background as a gymnast and family history in the circus take their achievements to another level, and they\u2019ve plotted an impressive lift after they finish the climb. This is something they can only do together, and Skywalkers: A Love Story<\/em> is invested in its central theme of the role of trust in romantic relationships. There\u2019s both strength and vulnerability in working as a team, and their romance is at its rockiest as the deadline approaches for their Merdeka mission. This may all be intended to add additional stakes and significance to their attempt, but it falls a little flat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Skywalkers: A Love Story<\/em> is at its peak in the incredible cinematography it captures in the air, whether taken by the film\u2019s crew, a drone, or Angela and Vanya\u2019s GoPros. You\u2019re likely to have an opinion on if the couple\u2019s daredevilry is to be admired or criticized, but it\u2019s an undisputed fact that the resulting footage is something to behold. Zimbalist\u2019s documentary shares some DNA with Sara Dosa\u2019s Oscar-nominated doc Fire of Love<\/em> in how it presents awe-inspiring images of a couple united by their passion for something that might kill them. There may be more judgment in the audience for those who risk their lives for clout rather than for science like the volcanologists in Fire of Love<\/em>, but that doesn\u2019t detract (too much) from the breathtaking achievements captured on screen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “Skywalkers: A Love Story” is on Netflix<\/a> Friday.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/skywalkers2-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nC+<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n