“Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” officially premiered last Thursday, Oct. 13, beckoning fans to the movie theaters for a cinematic version of Taylor Swift’s globe-spanning tour.
Following the chaotic and disastrous sale of tickets in the United States for the first leg of her tour in 2022 (also known among fans as the “Ticketmaster Great War”), the Eras Tour film packages the “Swiftie” experience in a more accessible format.
The film — directed by Sam Wrench — was shot over three nights of shows at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, which was the final stop of the first U.S. leg of the Eras Tour.
The movie clocks in at just under three hours, which is almost equivalent to the length of the actual live show. The tour took viewers on a journey through Swift’s 17-year long musical career spanning 11 albums. Each album, or “era,” got its own dedicated set.
Many national theater chains, including AMC and Cinemark, had specialty merchandise: Eras Tour cups, popcorn buckets and posters just (to name a few) to celebrate the film’s highly anticipated release.
Energy inside the theater was palpable and invigorating as Swifties of all ages gathered in for a full house showing.
In the beginning of the film, Swift points to different sections of the crowd at SoFi, commanding applause and commotion after which she torts that the audience was “making her feel very powerful.”
Swift’s ability to command an audience extended beyond the screen in the Eras Tour film. Half of the time in the theater you couldn’t tell which shouts of excitement were blasting out of the speakers and which were coming from the moviegoers watching on the big screen.
“We love you, Taylor!” yelled out one exuberant moviegoer.
Iconic singles like “You Belong With Me,” “Shake it Off” and “22” enticed moviegoers up out of their seats and into the aisles to dance and sing as if they were at SoFi Stadium.
Deeper cuts, such as Swift’s 10-minute version of the song “All Too Well” provided a good balance to the more upbeat, dancey tunes.
Certain songs, however, were cut from the show’s setlist to lower the film’s runtime. Among the titles cut were “The Archer” from Lover, “No Body, No Crime” from Evermore and “Wildest Dreams” from 1989. “Long Live” was also cut from the set list, but was played during the end credits.
Undeniably, the biggest loss was the cutting of “Cardigan” from the Folklore set. Swift opted to keep the two other songs from Folklore’s teenage love triangle, “Betty” and “August.”
Wrench’s camera work and editing gives the audience the opportunity to take in the marvel of Swift and her background dancers on the ginormous stage, while also providing up close and personal shots of Swift that allow her personality to shine through.
Swift’s showmanship is what blows the film out of the water compared to any other concert film. For starters, Swift’s stamina throughout the almost 3-hour performance is unwavering.
At some point, one might think that she would start to falter, but at every point in her performance, Swift looks as though she is having the time of her life. Moreover, Swift ensures that the audience is having the time of their lives, too.
When she is on stage, or in this case, on screen, Swift makes every single person in the audience feel as if she is their best friend giving them a personal concert.
During the song “22,” Swift gave a signed fedora hat to a specially selected fan at each of the tour’s stops.
For the film, the lucky hat receiver was Bianka Bryant, younger daughter of the late basketball player Kobe Bryant. The touching moment between Swift and Bryant moved the audience to tears and applause; a testament to Swift’s thoughtfulness and kind spirit.
While a few songs may have been sacrificed for runtime, the energy, emotionsand sheer entertainment of the film more than makes up for it. It’s a testament to Swift’s unparalleled superstardom and her enduring bond she shares with her fans.
“Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” highlights Swift’s ability to succeed time and time again in various genres. The film also solidifies Swift’s position as quite possibly the most influential pop star of the current generation. It is a must-see for Swifities and a great experience for anyone with an appreciation for music and performance.
As the credits roll, one thing is clear: Taylor Swift continues to reign supreme as a musical phenomenon and this film is a monument to her enduring reign.
