(Credits: Netflix)

Breaking the law doesn’t sound like a particularly romantic thing for a couple to do, but Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story defies convention to have audiences rooting for its central couple.

Ivan ‘Vanya’ Beerkus and Angela Nikolau take it upon themselves to scale many of the tallest buildings in the world without the use of any safety equipment, which naturally leaves them in danger of being apprehended, arrested, or incarcerated by the local authorities should they ever be caught.

It’s a very niche way to enjoy date night, that’s for sure, and one that comes with a long list of inherent risks and dangers. One of the couple’s most death-defying stunts saw them clamber to the top of the Merkeda Tower in Malaysia, which stands 2,227 feet tall to sit second behind Dubai’s Burj Khalifa as the second-tallest building on the planet.

Even Tom Cruise wasn’t foolish enough to barrel around cloud-grazing structures without ensuring the requisite health and safety procedures weren’t being followed, but Beerkus and Nikolau can’t get enough of the adrenaline rush that comes with defying the law and doing it their own way.

Director Jeff Zimbalist even warned the Skywalkers pair that it was a bad idea, but his concerns were regularly brushed off as his protagonists tended to march to the beat of their own drum. “We can’t risk an arrest,” he told them. “We know how dangerous getting arrested here in Malaysia is. It’s not worth it. Don’t do it.” Did they listen? Of course, they didn’t.

Once the authorities caught wind of their actions, though, a speedy getaway was required. “In relation to Malaysia, we weren’t officially served any papers,” Beerkus told Variety. “There was discussion in newspapers by Malaysian authorities, but we were out of the country already. If we are banned, we don’t know about it.”

They may not have been sanctioned in an official capacity, but with their reputation now preceding them – which will only be exacerbated by their status as the stars of a Netflix documentary that’s been watched by millions of subscribers – their exploits are only going to get more dangerous.

In Malaysia, trespassing is a crime punishable with up to six months in prison and a hefty fine, so the Skywalkers team decided the best way to avoid any trouble with the law was to hightail it out of there as soon as possible. Free-climbing is an inherently dangerous and silly thing to do, but at least Beerkus and Nikolau aren’t stupid.