Taylor Swift’s new Netflix concert film, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour”, offers an intimate yet colossal look at her record-breaking stadium tour of the same name. While the film provides fans with a front row seat to Swift’s dazzling production, some critics have found it to be slightly disappointing compared to her previous concert movies.
Directed by Ben Winston, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” was filmed over several nights during the US leg of Swift’s tour in summer 2023. The visually stunning show features multiple stages and set changes as Swift performs hit songs from throughout her career, divided into five thematic “eras” spanning country, pop, and folk.
“Swift is a melodramatist in the best sense, distilling what’s extraordinary in ordinary life, but the movie falls short of her fascinating aesthetic,” wrote critic Richard Brody in his review for The New Yorker.
While praising the tour’s concept and Swift’s authentic connection with fans, Brody took issue with the film’s editing and cinematography. “The musical performances, though impassioned, are chopped up and spotlit haphazardly, drained of their theatrical power,” he wrote.
Other reviewers echoed this sentiment, noting that the rapid cuts between shots undermine the grandeur and visual cogency of Swift’s live show. “After two minutes of any song, the screen is epilepsy-inducingly chaotic,” wrote Helen Lewis in The Atlantic.
However, most praised Swift’s boundless energy and dazzling choreography with her talented crew of dancers. “As a visual performer, Swift is astounding, calibrating every hip swivel and hair toss for maximum crowd delirium,” wrote Sophie Gilbert in The Atlantic.
The setlist spans Swift’s 17-year career, including hit singles like “Love Story,” “I Knew You Were Trouble,” and “Blank Space” alongside deeper cuts for diehard fans. Swift also performs several tracks from her intimate 2020 albums Folklore and Evermore with the same cathartic intensity as her dance pop hits.
The most poignant moment comes when Swift’s confetti cannon explodes with rainbow colored paper during a passionate rendition of her LGBTQ+ anthem “You Need To Calm Down.”
While the Netflix film may not fully capture the magic of Swift’s live show, fans remain thrilled to have such intimate access to a legendary tour from one of music’s greatest storytellers. Swift’s openness and enthusiasm is on full display, making it a fun watch for both casual viewers and Swifties alike.
The Eras Tour recently concluded in the US after breaking numerous records, including having the highest grossing tour in Billboard Boxscore history. Swift will take the show to international stadiums in 2023. Wherever it travels next, expect the tour to continue captivating audiences with its extravagant production and undeniable sense of intimacy between Swift and her fans.
