October is the new November for the film industry. And the latest hair-raising addition is not a horror film riddled with demented grandparents and clowns, but rather, a man on a wire. The Walk has grown men trembling in their seats and holding their breath as Philippe Petit (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) crosses the chasm between the World Trade Center Towers. And the most terrifying part? It’s all true.

When I bought my ticket and situated myself in that tiny theatre, I hadn’t the slightest clue of what this movie would entail. I certainly never thought I’d find myself holding my breath long enough to induce a serious headache. Yet, I was utterly captivated by the story — even more so when I realized it wasn’t fiction.

On the morning of August 7, 1974, Philippe Petit stood suspended in a clouded Manhattan skyline. Onlookers, 1500 feet below, looked up in a trance at the speck of a man, floating between the towers. Millimeters of steel cable separated Petit from a perilous death. But, armed with a pole 26 feet long and an unshakable dream, he walked.

“It is what I love. It is my domain. When you love something, you don’t have fear,” says Petit, “I found out that total creativity involves a certain intellectual rebellion – not to become a criminal, but somehow, to be totally creating, you have to do things that are a little bit forbidden.”

Unlike the British documentary Man on Wire, Robert Zemeckis (director) invites audiences to join Philippe in his steps to artistic, world-renowned fame. Through heart-stopping cinematography and the soul-reaching sounds of silence, movie-goers are enthralled by an act normally characterized by circus cliches and clown music. Petit allows us to look at his profession through a lens of innovation and discipline. It’s not too often we consider wire-walking noble.

Whether you leave the theatre absolutely transfixed or utterly disturbed, The Walk is a must-see. It gives a whole new meaning to “keeping you on the edge of your seat” and is nothing less than a stunning stride that begs the question: why?

His answer is as profound as his tale.

“When I see three oranges, I juggle. When I see two towers, I walk.”