If ever there was a review-proof movie, it’s the Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert film. You probably already know whether you want to see it or not, and no critical analysis of its value as a film or a filmgoing experience is likely to change that. Advanced ticket sales have already surpassed $100 million and it’s projected to exceed $125 million at the box office in its opening weekend. Swift fans are treating this as a theatrical event, and for good reason. Watching the film feels like attending an Eras concert all over again. Or for the first time, if you couldn’t get tickets. Which is kind of the whole point.
The infamous Ticketmaster debacle that sparked a Department of Justice investigation and made fans feel like they had to go through “several bear attacks” to get Eras tickets, as one pissed-off Swift put it in an Instagram story, was clearly a driving factor behind this film. And it will likely figure into its success as well. There’s nothing quite like seeing an artist perform live, but if the barriers to that experience are especially high, a concert film is the next best thing. One of the secrets to Swift’s success is her connection to her fans and the unwavering dedication that has inspired among Swifties in turn. So if the fans can’t come to her, she’ll happily screw the system and come to them.
Filmed over several nights at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles, at the end of the U.S. segment of the Eras tour, the film gives the audience a front-row seat and a pretty good approximation of what it was like to be there in the thick of it. Director Sam Wrench knows his way around a concert stage, having previously shot live shows featuring Billie Eilish, Lizzo, and BTS. He keeps the camera moving and captures a variety of different angles, from overhead shots high above the stage to close-ups so detailed you can see the chipped polish on Swift’s nails and the sweat dripping down her cheeks. There are also a few spare but effective cutaways to enthralled audience members, sometimes crying, sometimes singing along. In order to stay true to the concert-going experience, you don’t get any behind-the-scenes footage or interviews here. For that, you can always check out the documentary Miss Americana.
The sound is expertly mixed to deliver Swift’s energetic vocals clearly, but it also allows the crowd noise to bleed in at the edges. At the screening we attended there were times when you couldn’t tell whether the cheering was coming from the film or from inside the theater. That outpouring of affection seems to be what fuels Swift’s unbelievable stamina. The time between musical performances in the live show has been tightened for the film, giving the impression that they seamlessly flow from one song to the next. Costume changes happen in a matter of seconds, and there are only a few moments when Swift isn’t on stage singing her heart out. And though some songs performed during the live tour have been cut for time (otherwise we’d be looking at a run time of more than three hours), you may still feel more worn out than Swift appears to be by the end of the film.
Even if you’re not a Taylor Swift fan, you’ve got to appreciate the level of commitment and theatricality she brings to the stage and the screen. Not to mention the business savvy she showed by cutting out the big studios and securing the best possible deal for herself directly with AMC Theaters for the exclusive distribution rights to the film (it’s the least the chain could do in exchange for Swift saving their entire business model). Some of you non-Swifties may find yourself being dragged to the theater to see this with a loved one. You won’t have a miserable time. Don’t be surprised to see audience members singing and dancing in their seats. You might even feel like joining them.