This piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labour of the actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn't exist.
Taylor Swift's appearances on the big screen have previously left a lot to be desired. She voiced tree-hugging teen Audrey in the memeable The Lorax back in 2012 and showed off her musical prowess as Bombalurina in cinematic flop Cats, for example. However, her latest film Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour perfectly captures the pop icon at the height of her success. As she plays to an audience of 70,000 at Los Angeles' sold out SoFi Stadium, the film shows why she is known as one of the most well-known musicians of the decade.
While the film is essentially a recording of her final leg of the US tour, director Sam Wrench gives the cinema viewers a seemingly endless variety of angles to enjoy. After all, the tickets for the in-person experience sold out almost instantly, leaving thousands of Swifties disappointed. What better way to make up for it than the next best thing? Wrench's previous directing experience includes working with Billie Eilish on her Live at the O2 concert film and Mumford and Sons. Adding Swift to this list is an incredible addition to his CV, and his experience certainly shows.
Wrench makes the most of the oodles of cameras positioned across the stadium. The film format allows for more of the staging and performance to be appreciated. Every detail from the beautiful dancing duet during Lover to Swift hugging the late Kobe Bryant's young daughter from the front of the audience is on screen. Those touching moments are usually lost on the roaring crowd in a live performance where the bustle of fellow fans means you miss the little things.
The 33-year-old singer takes her audience through a variety of musical styles and genres that she has visited throughout her career. She says herself in the show that she is so grateful to be given the opportunity to hop from different genres with their complete support; an option that not many musicians are given.
The extravagant staging alone is brilliantly over the top. Each album requires a quick costume change and set transformation. As she performs the Reputation album, for example, a menacing snake wraps around the stage and several rattlesnakes circle the dancers on the floor.
Each song is performed with such energy and precision that one can't help but marvel at the multi-talented icon. She is on the stage for a respectable two hours and 48 minutes, and her energy never wanes. Swift seems to feed off the joy of her audience whom Wrench cuts to between sets as they scream with support. It is easy to forget that you are in a cinema as the high-definition footage envelops the room and the overwhelming wall of cheering hits. The atmosphere quickly resembles the buzz of a stadium.
Some cinemas have reported sold out screenings with the audience joyously singing and dancing, creating that sought-after concert atmosphere. It is a brilliant experience for Swifties who have missed out on the US tour or who are eagerly awaiting the Europe leg, but also super enjoyable for casual fans. The concert offers banger after banger of both her most well-known and more underground releases and Swift's energy is simply infectious. She performs classics like 22 and Shake It Off to an overcome audience, giving them the crowd-pleasing performance they came for.
Swift's appreciation for her insanely large audience is ever present throughout the performance which is an impressive feat considering the size of the stadium. During her acoustic set of the 10-minute version of All Too Well, it is amazing to see how one person and a guitar can command a room of that scale.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is available to watch in cinemas now.
