Having almost fallen off my chair sitting in cinemas watching the likes of FREE SOLO and SKYWALKERS: A LOVE STORY in recent years, I approached SKYCLIMBER: SCALING THE EIFFEL TOWER with the same trepidation.
Within five minutes I was screaming at the screen and begging Adam Lockwood, the subject of this no-less-compelling documentary from Channel 4, to get the hell off The Shard as he scales it with virtually no fear.
As somebody who was fearful of heights and experienced Skydeck, the transparent and (apparently) solid viewing box 108 stories up which hangs opening on the side of one of the tallest buildings in Chicago back in 2013, I can safely say that it is a relief to be watching something like this on ground level in a comfortable room.
Unfortunately, that is the only respite anybody who suffers the same feelings as me will gain because the footage of Lockwood scaling first the Shard and then attempting the Eiffel Tower (just watch the film to see if he does) is knife-edge and really in your face.
Lockwood has had a fair amount of challenge in his life, suffering the lost of his best friend William and diagnosed with ADHD himself, finding himself out on the streets by choice at 17 years of age. However, with this self-analysis he becomes a transformative soul with a desire to climb higher and higher, starting with a tall smoke stack and then leading up to The Shard in 2022 before a three year odyssey to try and scale one of the most secure attractions in the world.
Across seventy minutes, we watch Lockwood’s planning and practicality with base jumping practice across a number of locations. Then it is the turn of the Eiffel Tower.
The GoPro footage on show portrays him as a dare as he manages to get into the area amidst the security. The sequence contains some of the most edge-of-seat tense thrills I have experienced in a long time and you would be such a cold heart if you didn’t empathise and root for Adam’s in camera odyssey.
Filmmaker Nick Hardie encapsulates Lockwood’s journey (the reason he is doing the Eiffel Tower is a highly emotional reason, given his own reflections on mental health and what he has inside of him to prove himself.)
To be honest with you, his way of life is admirable up to a point, but I also feel that there admittedly a extreme case of flying without a net. The footage here is immense and intense to watch (in my case to the point of near-upset given the dangers of climbing tall buildings without a net)
Lockwood states that there are only about ten people who have done this (and I for one am not surprised!!!). So, be warned, hold onto your armrests and popcorn in the cinema and say a little prayer. In the meantime, if you do want to do something for the greater good, seek the nearest donation tin and pop a pound or two in. A compelling watch, but not for the faint of heart.
SKYCLIMBER plays as part of the London Independent Film Festival 2026 October Edition.
Tickets at: Events | Genesis Cinema