Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour is the most coveted ticket in town. It seems impossible to log onto social media these days without feeling major FOMO, as you’re bombarded with photos and videos of this elaborate extravaganza: the outfits, choreography, friendship bracelets, and sequins galore. And now that Taylor Swift is almost ready to kick off the international leg of her world tour, if you weren’t one of the lucky ones to see the spectacle (or even if you were), never fear! Taylor has transformed her live concert into a cinematic experience that captures the magic for the big screen with Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.
The film is straightforward: a filmed version of the Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour concert, highlighting songs from all nine of her distinct “eras” of musical artistry, which mostly align with her album releases. It’s not an editorialized documentary; there are no interviews or behind-the-scenes footage, apart from a few on-stage bloopers shown during the credits. It’s a pure unadulterated concert film that gives theatergoers a high-fidelity taste of what it was like to attend the concert. And it does so spectacularly.
From the moment the screen lights up, Swift serenades the audience with the catchy “Cruel Summer”, instantly transporting you to the arena and feeling the rush as if you were in person. She sings, dances, and entertains at full tilt for hours until she finally takes a bow after the the finale, “Karma”. The stage features massive screens, rising platforms, and a long catwalk peninsula, allowing Taylor and her backup dancers to interact more intimately with fans in the fit. The concert’s atmosphere is electric from start to finish, even through the slower moments of the Folklore and Evermore numbers.
While the actual concert clocks in at three and a half hours, the film still delivers a hefty three-hour runtime, cutting wardrobe changes, transitions, and five songs: “No Body, No Crime”, “Long Live”, “Wildest Dreams”, “The Archer”, and “Cardigan.” Swift also sets the bar for what to expect for an engaging live show, showing minimal signs of exertion during her marathon performance, with only a few subtle hints like her increasingly unkempt and wavy hair and her smudgy makeup, which actually are quite endearing.
Taylor Swift might not be the most talented dancer or even strongest singer, but she knows the limits of her vocal range and, having written most of her songs, sticks to it. But Swift’s real appeal and worldwide popularity transcend her voice because she embodies so much more: she’s world-class entertainer. She knows how to put on a show and create an environment that, whether you are a Swiftie superfan or have just heard a few of her songs on the radio, you can’t help but get caught up in the moment and enjoy every moment.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is a unique communal experience that feels less like a movie and more like an extension of the actual concert. The audience with whom you watch it is as vital as the movie itself. For showings are filled with a female crowd—gaggles of girlfriends, mother-daughter duos, and even people going stag. Nearly everyone was donning some combination of TSwift concert shirts, pink, sparkles, or sequins. The crowd sang their hearts out, danced in the aisles, and jumped up and down, creating contagious kinetic energy and vibrant joyful atmosphere during the entire film that simply could not be recreated at home.
In an era when most people skip the theaters and opt for the streaming release instead, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is one film that you don’t want to miss seeing on the big screen. Miss Swift has mastered the art putting on a spectacular show for her fans, giving it her all until the final note. The film is a unique, immersive, magical movie experience that feels like going to a concert with your besties.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour released in theaters on October 13, 2023.
★★★★
