---
title: "Man on Wire"
year: 2008
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/man-on-wire"
fi1m_id: "man-on-wire"
imdb_id: "tt1155592"
tmdb_id: 14048
wikidata_id: "Q1417721"
fi1m_score: 90
critics_score: 90
critics_reviews: 9
published: "2026-09-15"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:31.843330+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Man on Wire (2008)

Directed by James Marsh · 1h 34m · MPA PG-13 · Documentary

## Identity

Man on Wire

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/man-on-wire
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** man-on-wire
- **IMDb ID:** tt1155592
- **TMDB ID:** 14048
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1417721
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1155592/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/14048, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1417721

**Fi1m score: 90** · Critics 90 from 9 reviews

*In a sentence:* Some friends help you move house; Philippe Petit’s help him put a wire between skyscrapers

> James Marsh turns Philippe Petit’s high-wire scheme into a gripping documentary with the suspense of a good heist film. The reconstructions occasionally labour, but the meticulous preparations and persuasive storyteller make it easy to recommend.

## Synopsis

In 1974, Philippe Petit plans an illegal high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre. James Marsh’s documentary follows the preparations, the helpers and the practical problems involved in putting a wire between the buildings. Petit tells his own story, with contributions from Jean-Louis Blondeau, Jean François Heckel and Annie Allix. Interviews sit alongside archive footage, photographs and reconstructed scenes as the film traces the work behind the proposed crossing. The preparations take on the shape of a heist, with a performance rather than a robbery as the objective.

## Review

*Man on Wire* makes the preparations for Philippe Petit’s illegal high-wire walk between the Twin Towers feel like a crime worth committing. James Marsh’s documentary is gripping, funny and unusually good at showing how one person’s enthusiasm becomes several people’s hard work. He approaches the 1974 undertaking as a heist, giving the planning room to be complicated and the helpers room to matter. We can understand the practical task without ever finding the wish to do it remotely sensible.

Petit is a considerable advantage for a director making a film out of recollections. His flamboyance makes the account entertaining, but it also lets us see how the helpers might have been persuaded to join him. Marsh gives him space to tell the story without treating his enthusiasm as a sufficient explanation for everything. There is egotism here, and a willingness to ask a great deal of other people. That makes the devotion of the team more interesting than simple admiration.

Editor Jinx Godfrey keeps the interviews, archive footage, photographs and reconstructions moving at the pace of a thriller. The cutting gives the planning enough time to make sense without letting the accounts become a series of lectures. We felt anxious watching the preparations, because all that meticulous work makes the possibility of a mistake easier to imagine. Marsh keeps returning to the practical business of arranging the walk.

Igor Martinović’s cinematography helps the reconstructed passages belong to a caper rather than a dry historical explanation. They give Marsh a way to dramatise the work described by his interviewees, and most of them earn their place. Occasionally, though, their staged quality draws attention away from the people remembering what happened. The archive material is more absorbing at those points. The film already has an engaging storyteller in Petit, and does not always need to illustrate him.

The music, credited to Michael Nyman and J. Ralph, gives the planning an excitement that suits the scale of Petit’s ambition. Some familiar cues push harder than the images need. With photographs, in particular, Nyman helps Marsh sustain attention without having to manufacture more action. We would occasionally prefer a little less prompting, but the music allows pleasure into a story that could easily be dominated by fear.

A documentary about a dangerous feat can spend so long insisting on its importance that there is no pleasure left in watching it. Marsh avoids that trap by taking the preparations seriously without making every participant sound solemn. The humour matters: it gives the helpers something to do beyond admiring Petit, and makes their company worth keeping. For all his delight in the scheme, Marsh also leaves space for the demands it places on other people.

At 94 minutes, it gives this elaborate scheme time to develop without requiring a long evening. There is no need to be interested in wire-walking beforehand. Petit’s account makes a case for spending an unreasonable amount of effort on something with no practical purpose. If heights make you uncomfortable, we would still recommend it, though perhaps not on the largest screen available.

*Fi1m score 90, published 15 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews are uniformly positive about James Marsh’s documentary, with praise clustering around its heist-thriller structure and Philippe Petit’s charismatic storytelling. Critics repeatedly credit the combination of interviews, archive footage, photographs and reconstructions with making the preparations for his high-wire walk between the Twin Towers suspenseful. Most also find humour and emotional force in the helpers’ devotion, Petit’s self-belief and the sheer improbability of what they attempt.

The differences concern individual choices rather than the film’s success. Time Out finds some musical cues overly familiar, while Eye for Film considers Michael Nyman’s score fitting; The Skinny praises the extensive home footage but finds occasional dramatised scenes distracting. Little White Lies gives more attention to Petit’s egomania and the personal costs of his ambition. These are limited reservations within a strongly favourable consensus, with no substantial dissent over the documentary’s ability to grip and move.

## Straight answers

**Is Man on Wire worth watching?**

*Man on Wire* is worth watching for almost anyone, and we scored it 90. James Marsh treats Philippe Petit's 1974 plan to walk a wire between the Twin Towers as a heist, and the preparations are gripping, funny and tense. The reconstructions occasionally labour, but at 94 minutes it never asks for a long evening, and no prior interest in wire-walking is needed.

**How long is Man on Wire, and what is it rated?**

*Man on Wire* runs 1h 34m and is rated PG-13 by the MPA in the US. It is a documentary film.

**Where can I watch Man on Wire in the US?**

*Man on Wire* is streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Tubi and The Roku Channel in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $2.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Man on Wire, and is it suitable for children?**

*Man on Wire* contains no violence and is certified 12A in the UK, so it suits most children of secondary school age and many younger ones. The tension comes from watching meticulous preparations for something that could go badly wrong, and we felt anxious rather than frightened. Anyone uncomfortable with heights may prefer to watch it on a smaller screen.

**How does Man on Wire compare to Touching the Void?**

*Man on Wire* and [*Touching the Void*](https://film.one/film/touching-the-void) both build suspense from people recalling danger they survived, but they differ in tone. Marsh's film is lighter and funnier, shaped like a caper with a performance as its prize, while Kevin Macdonald's is often frightening and slower to start. We think Marsh's is the more consistently enjoyable; Macdonald's is the more harrowing.

**What should I watch after Man on Wire?**

After *Man on Wire*, try [*Touching the Void*](https://film.one/film/touching-the-void) (2003, Fi1m 87): For another documentary that makes remembered danger feel alarmingly close. Then [*The Red Turtle*](https://film.one/film/the-red-turtle) (2016, Fi1m 84): For wordless physical storytelling that finds wonder without insisting on an explanation.

### Reviews we read (15)

- **Little White Lies**, Matt Bochenski (4/5/4): Marsh turns Petit's story into a gripping heist-style caper that mixes reconstructions, interviews and archive material with infectious energy and charm. The film celebrates the transcendent power of the stunt while gently noting the egomania and personal costs behind the triumph. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/man-on-wire)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (4/4): The film engrosses through its account of Philippe Petit's daring tightrope walk between the World Trade Center towers. It highlights the planning, helpers, and sheer joy of the feat without referencing later events. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/man-on-wire-2008)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (5/5): The critic praises Marsh's documentary for fully capturing Philippe Petit's audacious high-wire walk between the Twin Towers as a sublime, artistic act of homage. It highlights the film's elegant handling of the story through interviews, photos and reconstructions, celebrating Petit's childlike faith and self-belief. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/aug/01/documentary1)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Robert Abele (90/100, inferred): The exhilarating film treats the walk like a daring heist or police procedural. It deftly combines archival footage, re-creations, and interviews to reveal the passion and human drama behind the artistic crime of the century. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-aug-08-et-wire8-story.html)
- **The Times**, Kevin Maher (90/100, inferred): The critic describes the documentary as superlative and exhilarating, with the drive of a Hollywood thriller that reaches transcendent heights. It praises the homage to human endeavour through Nyman's score and stills, noting the poignant weight from the towers' later fate. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/man-on-wire-p0lcbcbq2ld)
- **Time Out**, Trevor Johnston (4/5): Marsh's captivating documentary chronicles the years of preparation and execution of Petit's illegal high-wire feat with suspenseful reconstructions and lively interviews. The storytelling creates genuine tension and wonder despite some overly familiar musical cues. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/man-on-wire)
- **Empire**, William Thomas: The documentary recounts Philippe Petit's illegal 1974 high-wire walk between the Twin Towers through interviews, archive footage and re-enactments of the planning. Marsh blends humour with emotion and anxiety, ultimately celebrating Petit's enthusiasm, courage and dedication to his art. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/man-wire-review/)
- **Sight and Sound**, Catherine Wheatley: Marsh crafts an enthralling documentary that interweaves archive footage, reconstructions and interviews to recount Philippe Petit's daring high-wire walk. The film builds suspense like a heist thriller while capturing the bittersweet personal aftermath for those involved. [Read](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/4426)
- **Slant Magazine**, Ed Gonzalez: The critic describes the film as an awesome documentary experience that chronicles Philippe Petit's daring feat with awe. It becomes a thrilling study in contrast by incorporating footage of the Twin Towers' builders, extolling both the wire walk and the achievements of those who defied death to create the stage. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/man-on-wire/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, The Associated Press: The critic calls the film a highly entertaining and deeply moving documentary that adds positive memories of the World Trade Center towers. It presents the story in an uplifting, inspirational manner as an urban fairy tale, with colorful personalities and the feel of a caper thriller. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/man-wire-126067/)
- **The Independent**: Marsh's documentary lets Petit tell his own story as a flamboyant raconteur, interweaving archive material with re-enactments styled like a 1970s heist film. It highlights the meticulous preparation, the team's devotion and the feat's resonance as a celebration of human limits and motivation. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/man-on-wire-12a-883584.html)
- **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (Critic's Pick): Marsh's documentary is thorough, understated, and enthralling in recounting Petit's 1974 walk. It evokes amusement, amazement, and awe through intimate footage of the towers and the event. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/25/movies/25wire.html)
- **Eye for Film**, Tony Sullivan (80/100, inferred): The critic highlights the film's classic thriller structure centered on Philippe Petit's obsession and planning. It singles out the engaging portrayal of the free-spirited wire-walker and the fitting Michael Nyman score. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/man-on-wire-film-review-by-tony-sullivan)
- **Paste**, Robert Davis (80/100, inferred): The critic describes Philippe Petit's high-wire walk as an audacious feat and praises James Marsh's film for giving Petit a chance to tell his story with the suspense of a caper movie. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/philippe-petit/man-on-wire)
- **The Skinny**, Paul Greenwood (★★★★): Marsh’s riveting documentary recounts the planning, execution and aftermath of Petit’s high-wire walk with flair and emotional resonance. It benefits enormously from extensive home-movie footage and Petit’s own charismatic energy, though the occasional dramatised scenes can pull the viewer out of the story. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/festivals/edinburgh-festivals/film/man-on-wire)

## Details

- **Director:** James Marsh
- **Director:** James Marsh
- **Writer:** Philippe Petit
- **Cinematography:** Igor Martinović
- **Editor:** Jinx Godfrey
- **Music:** J. Ralph, Michael Nyman
- **Producer:** Simon Chinn
- **Cast:** Philippe Petit as Himself; Jean François Heckel as Himself; Jean-Louis Blondeau as Himself; Annie Allix as Herself; David Forman as Himself; Alan Welner as Himself; Barry Greenhouse as Himself; Jim Moore as Himself
- **Runtime:** 1h 34m
- **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13
- **Release (the US):** 29 August 2008
- **Genres:** Documentary
- **Budget:** $1 million
- **Box office:** $3 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIawNRm9NWM

## Where to watch in the US

- Amazon Prime Video: streaming
- Tubi: free, hd
- The Roku Channel: free, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $2.99, sd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $9.99, sd

*Checked 2026-09-15.*

Also available in: AU, CA, GB, IE, JP, NO, NZ, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2009: Best Documentary Feature Film (won)
- European Film Award for Best Documentary 2008: European Film Award for Best Documentary (nominated)
- Sundance Film Festival World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary 2008: Sundance Film Festival World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary (won)
- Sundance World Cinema Audience Award: Documentary 2008: Sundance World Cinema Audience Award: Documentary (won)

## If you liked this

- *Touching the Void* (2003), Fi1m 87: For another documentary that makes remembered danger feel alarmingly close. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/touching-the-void.md)
- *Rififi* (1955): For patient criminal planning, with every practical detail adding to the tension.
- *The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner* (1974): Another absorbing encounter with someone whose relationship to heights defeats ordinary caution.
- *For All Mankind* (1989): Archive footage makes an extraordinary undertaking feel both immense and intimately human.
- *The Red Turtle* (2016), Fi1m 84: For wordless physical storytelling that finds wonder without insisting on an explanation. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-red-turtle.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/man-on-wire