If you have exposure to any sort of media, there’s a chance you’ve likely seen the publicity surrounding Taylor Swift’s ongoing tour, the Eras Tour. What makes this tour so special is the versatility of Swift’s discography, as she explores her different “eras” throughout her years of songwriting and singing. The tour began on March 17, 2023, and will proceed until Nov. 23, 2024, spanning across the United States as well as international locations. As of Aug. 2023, the tour has grossed $780 million, making it the highest-grossing tour by a woman ever and the second-highest-grossing tour of all time.
If you’re anything like me, and you’re hoping more dates will come to the United States eventually, you can now see a cinematic viewing of the tour. As someone who was unable to attend the tour, I jumped at this opportunity. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour was scheduled to be released on Oct. 13, 2023, but per usual, Swift didn’t hesitate to surprise her fans and released the film early on Oct. 12. I bought tickets to see the film in IMAX with my best friend on Oct.14. To provide some background on my journey as a Swiftie, I was always a big fan as a young girl and attended the RED Tour in 2013, on what was probably the hottest day of the summer. I will admit, that my musical preferences were changing a lot as I grew up, so there was a period of time when I wasn’t the biggest Swift fan. This past summer, all the hype and excitement surrounding the Eras Tour eventually enticed me to start listening to her again. I spent the better half of my summer nights alone, with my cat and some snacks, watching grainy TikTok live streams of the Eras Tour showing of that night, and trying (albeit failing) to learn how to crochet. Taylor Swift performs like no other, bringing stories to life with her songs and engaging fully with the audience. This was explicitly exhibited throughout the movie.
When the movie was announced, which I knew would be coming, I wasn’t sure what I was expecting to see. Whether it would be a documentary-type of film showing behind-the-scenes of the tour or solely a recording of the concert, I was excited and ready to see it. If there’s one thing I was undoubtedly sure about, it was the fact that Swifties from all over would show up and show out in their best eras outfits with arms full of friendship bracelets. My sold-out theater showing was full of all ages, from little kids to grandparents. Some had fringe dresses and bedazzled pink skirts, while others had Taylor Swift t-shirts and folklore cardigans. I absolutely love the dedication and creativity Swifties have. My friend and I even got souvenir cups, which have the Eras Tour design on them, and I honestly couldn’t be more excited to show them off.
When the lights went down, everyone in the theater was quiet and on the edge of their seats. The dark screen then went to the well-known Eras Tour clock, from the opening of the three-hour-long concert. As someone who would just watch the intro to the tour repeatedly this summer, I was thriving at this moment. The countdown finished and we saw different angles of the opening song, “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince.” My initial thought was how incredibly clear the shots were. You could see every detail, from Swift’s long blonde hair to the sparkles on her Lover bodysuit. Since we were in an IMAX theater, it truly felt like a concert to me. Swift’s vocals were very clear and smooth. The majority of the theater sang every song along with Swift, including me and my friend, of course. We were given different angles and views, including many on stage with Swift. It was interesting to see what she sees when she’s performing, and I felt that this was a very neat attribute and added to the experience. The visuals in this film, in the IMAX showing especially, were insane. When the Reputation snake appeared on the screen, I was in complete awe. Once the Red era began, most of the seats in the theater were empty. “22” incited standing and dancing among most of the theater, and I must say it was an unforgettable and special moment. From then on, everyone was dancing on and off or sitting and enjoying themselves from their seats. Personally, I couldn’t help but stand and dance to some songs. Though I did fill the souvenir cup full of cherry coke before the movie, so, per my bladder, I did need to sit for a good bit of the end. I couldn’t bring myself to leave at any point and miss the show because it was just that good. It felt incredibly like a concert, and we got to really admire her amazing performing skills more. With the camera close-ups and clarity, we could see Swift’s facial expressions, dramatic storytelling, and her mouthing words to her fans very clearly which made the film more entertaining. From tracks like “tolerate it” and “the last great american dynasty” to “Style” and “Fearless,” Swift is always performing to her full potential and ensuring there’s a story being told. We also saw a lot of her interactions with her band, vocalists, and dancers.he connection they all explicitly have is so sweet and shows Swift’s genuine personality. It’s obvious that the shows are fun for everyone involved, not just the fans, which is so important.
Something else I thought made this film very genuine was the different depictions and viewings of fans in the audience. We saw photos, posters, creative outfits, friendship bracelets, Swifties singing and dancing their hearts out, and fans crying from the pure joy of the experience. It’s incredible to see the closeness and acceptance of Taylor Swift’s fan base and how she encourages this love. The film showed the last show of the United States leg of the tour, which took place at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. At every one of Swift’s shows, she gives her “22” hat to a fan in the audience. The movie showed her handing it off to Kobe Bryant’s daughter, Bianka, and sharing a hug in a brief but sweet moment before Swift returned to the show. This genuine clip shows how she strives to engage with fans during her shows.
While I would argue that the film is close to perfect and didn’t fail to exceed my expectations, there were a few minor details I felt would’ve enhanced the experience. For example, a handful of songs on the set list were excluded from the film. This included “cardigan” which I believe should’ve been included, as it’s a track from Swift’s folklore album and one of the three songs depicting the “folklore love triangle.” Since the song was on the set list and the other two songs were included in the film, I would’ve loved to see “cardigan” stay in the film. Additionally, I feel “Long Live” from the Speak Now era should’ve been included in the film. Swift added this song to the setlist toward the end of the tour to celebrate her release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), which incited lots of excitement within the fanbase. I also feel this would’ve added more variety to the film, as there was only one other song in the Speak Now era. I will say that I was pretty upset with the setlist songs excluded from the film, but, seeing as the show itself was three hours long, I can see how some sacrifices had to be made to shorten the film length. Though, I did take personal offense to the removal of “‘tis the damn season” and my best friend also did to “no body, no crime,” but we don’t have to talk about that.
When I found out about the film being released, I was dying to know what surprise songs would be included. During her tour, Taylor Swift sets aside time for two acoustic songs, neither of which are on the setlist. There’s one performed on her guitar and one on her beautiful floral piano, and the fans didn’t know which songs would be played until the night of. This was very exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time for fans attending the tour, as hopes were held high for their favorite songs to be played. Because there was no Taylor Swift era representing her debut album throughout the tour, I assumed one of the surprise songs would be a song from that album. She performed “Our Song,” which provided the theater with nostalgia and a reminiscence of the beginning of her career and her first album released. She paired this song with “You’re On Your Own, Kid,” a track off her most recent studio album, Midnights. I thought this was a neat pairing, as it reflects her journey through music and how she’s expanded her style and grown over that time. Was I secretly hoping to see some more surprise songs in the film? Of course, but I thought her chosen pairing reflected her musical journey well.
Overall, I can say that I have been thinking about going back to theaters to experience this film again. From the cinematography to the overall energy and atmosphere in the theater, the experience was unforgettable and definitely exceeded my expectations, especially since I was unable to attend the tour itself. Despite the negativity surrounding her from critics, if there’s one thing Taylor Swift knows how to do, it’s perform. I look forward to seeing her make further advances in her career. After all, she is a “Mastermind.”