Are you ready for the enchanting experience of the Eras Tour?
By Kirstie Kinnaird
Rating: 5/5
Taylor Swift’s global Eras Tour has been recognised as “the most significant pop culture event of 2023.”
Its popularity has further increased with the release of a dedicated movie. Similar to Taylor Swift’s previous tours such as Reputation, 1989, and Folklore: The Long Pond Studios Sessions, which featured cosy firepit settings and intimate acoustic performances captured on Disney+, the Eras Tour has been transformed into a breath-taking film that highlights the impressive stagecraft and choreography created for this landmark concert experience.
During the pandemic-induced lockdown, Taylor Swift took the opportunity to release two albums within five months. As Swift had a few albums without a corresponding tour, she made the decision to create a concert experience that spans over three hours. This concert showcases 17 years of her music, including tracks from her earliest album, Debut, to her most recent release Midnights.
The Eras Tour was filmed over three days at the LA SoFi Stadium in August and has reached the big screens worldwide as of Friday, the 13th of October. Directed by Sam Wrench, who helmed concert films for Billie Eilish and more. Wrench calls upon all the tools of mega-tour videography, careening between the vast crowd and myriad shots of Swift: her zoomed-in face, close-ups of costumes, and fans singing their hearts out, showing the peer joy and excitement of the tour.
In cinematic form, Eras is somehow even more relentless and exhausting than the real thing.
There is minimal time for the natural transitions, outfit changes, and on-screen animated interludes that make the show breathe. Movie magic allows for immediate transitions between eras, and the only effects added to the film are typographical flourishes announcing the title of each specific album – including the Reputation era snake animated to wrap around the entire stage which left me speechless.
The credit scene is one of my favourites. I realise some of you may be confused because it signals the end of the movie, but it was filled with images of fans dancing and wearing costumes, and videos of Taylor Swift making mistakes during her tour. Most importantly, ‘Long Live’ was playing in the background.
‘You'll stand by me forever’ is one of the well-known lyrics from Swift's song which she dedicated to her fans.
Another unforgettable moment from the film was Taylor’s performance of her song ‘22’ from Red, in which she dances with a hat that is always given away to a fellow fan selected during her show; and in the movie we see Taylor run across the stage and hand the hat to Bianka Bryant, the late Kobe Bryant’s daughter, while giving her a hug and a kiss.
Even though I went to the 8:30 pm showing, I will admit it was still packed, and fans dressed up in all the different symbols of Taylor Swift: cardigans, colours, and bracelets. I also managed to grab one of the Eras Tour cups sold at Vue Cinema for £3.99. Although I was in the back row, it did sound like my friends and I were the loudest in the screen, but, in fairness, how can I resist singing ‘All Too Well (10 Minute Version)’?
So, is this movie worth seeing even if you have tickets for her show next year? The short answer is yes, the Eras Tour Movie is worth spending every penny and losing your voice singing along, plus you could meet other fans who could be going to the same show as you next year.
