The Netflix Documentary That Conquers The Most Common Fear

Nikolau and Beerkus, the focus of Skywalkers, are two Russian social media influencers who gained their massive following from participating in a viral trend called “rooftopping.”

The goal is to find a tall building, break in, and take pictures of yourself at the top to post as proof. Nikolau added the extra thrill of acrobatics, a nod to her family of circus performers.

After a period of back and forth on social media the two rooftoppers decided to “collaborate” on the Goldin Finance 117 tower in Tianjin, China (1,957 feet). It was on this trip that the two caught feelings for each other and decided to take their relationship to the next step.

Originally premiering at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, Skywalkers: A Love Story is filmed through the lens of a love story between Nikolau and Berkus focusing on how much trust must exist between individuals to embark on a shared rooftopping journey.

In the film, the pair attempts to summit the second tallest building in the world, Merdeka 118 in Kula Lumpur, which measures 2,228 feet. Nikolau and Beerkus successfully pulled off the climb but, as documented, they had to hide in the building for over 36 hours straight to avoid being detected.

Many would consider this debacle the ultimate relationship tester but the pair came out of it stronger than ever.

Their devotion to their craft and each other really resonated with a lot of viewers receiving a Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 95 percent. After watching Skywalkers many were left feeling inspired by their relationship.

To feel secure in tempting death itself just because you trust the one who is standing beside you is the ultimate display of love. 

When the couple was asked about the possibility of leaving roof topping behind them, Beerkus replied “We are not anticipating quitting anytime soon. Maybe when we are 75.”

Skywalkers: A Love Story is the result of over 200 hours of material shot across six countries over the course of seven years.

Jeff Zimbalist, who co-directed the film with Maria Bukhonia, talked about what a delicate business filming roof topping is and how much they had to rely on Nikolau and Beerkus to get more of the perilous shots for them, “They know each other and they can read each other’s [body] language, but we had not practiced with them…luckily, they’re great photographers. They were able to get amazing coverage when they went up without us to these heights; [it’s] just a gorgeous spectacle.”

As many viewers are relieved to hear, the match made in heaven daredevil pair, Nikolaus and Beerkus, are still dating and are continuing to plan out their future roof-topping escapades.

For those curious about their story and wish to hear more, Skywalkers: A Love Story is currently available to stream on Netflix. As the production team warned, and as we will echo, please please please do not try it at home. Love can be found on the bottom floor as well.