Until now, Taylor Swift kept her movie career to bit parts in films like “The Giver” and “Valentine’s Day.” With her concert film, she finally makes the leap to major-league stardom. From surprise song switches to appearances by Ex-boyfriends and Ice Spice, let’s take a look at Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour movie!
Ice Spice’s guest appearance
Swift is, at turns, a playfully eccentric country star, a pop icon, and a genuine rock goddess in this wildly entertaining spectacle. But the moments that linger longest are the intimate ones. Like her solos of acoustic songs like “Our Song” and a 10-minute cappella rendition of her hit single “All Too Well.”
The super unexpected yet well-welcomed twist was when she brought out Ice Spice. The “Munch” rapper joined her onstage to perform their “Karma” remix. No one could have seen that coming, and fans loved it!
Director Nathan Wrench doesn’t shy away from some of the concert-film clichés. The swirling close-ups of Swift and Spice, for example, are so intense they make you think the camera is physically spinning around in your face.
Surprise songs
Swift’s show is a spectacle, and it looks great on the big screen, especially with the unexpected songs she continues to roll out. The film’s opening weekend ticket sales indicate that the movie is a hit. She shatters expectations even though theaters are recovering from the fall writers’ strike.
The numbers also suggest that Swifties are emotionally invested in anything Taylor does. The concert movie is precisely what it sounds like. It doesn’t include many bloopers or behind-the-scenes footage, just the performances that have made Swift a superstar. In addition to the dazzling visuals and the upbeat energy of the concert, it’s worth a look for the two surprise songs that Swift performs each night.
Against the backdrop of a career-spanning setlist that covers her ten albums, these two wild card tunes give audiences a chance to experience extremes of emotion, from winsome to worrisome. The selections are a glimpse into Swift’s entire repertoire and one that she’s not afraid to share.
The 22-hat giveaway
The record-breaking Taylor Swift Eras Tour sold out stadiums across the US. For those who couldn’t snag tickets to her shows, this film will make you feel like you were there. Filmed over three nights at SoFi Stadium, the concert movie oozes the energy from each night.
It will have your ears buzzing long after you leave the theater. On top of the massive stadium-sized screens, director Sam Wrench’s camerawork delivers an extra sense of closeness to the film. His swooping close-ups and giddy zooms add to the excitement and ecstasy of each show.
It’s become a tradition at each show to give a fan a black fedora that was first worn by Swift in the music video for her 2012 hit “22.” At a Thursday night show in LA, she surprised Kobe Bryant’s daughter Bianka with the hat before performing the song. The warm moment and the cap are perfect examples of Swift always looking out for fans, making them unique.
The fan-quake
Many Taylor Swift fans would love to have their own version of the experience of seeing the singer from the stage. Some fans get so excited that they literally shake the earth in excitement. Wildly enthusiastic “Swifties” were reportedly so pumped up in Seattle last week that they caused the equivalent of a 2.3 magnitude earthquake.
A seismology professor at Western Washington University noticed the rumble on a local earthquake detector. He compared it to 2011’s “Beast Quake,” when Seattle Seahawk erupted in celebration over running back Marshawn Lynch’s touchdown.
Swift proves to be a fun presence onstage, and with her upcoming film, she will also prove it on the big screen. Particularly with bouncy numbers like “Shake It Off” and rocking tunes like “Look What You Made Me Do.” She also impresses with her acting chops during a scene depicting a wrong dinner date.
Also, with the climactic scene of her swatting a vase of flowers off the table. Let’s hope the Swifties can control themselves better at the theaters than they do at her concerts.
“I Can See You” music video drops with ex-Taylor Lautner
Swift is a fun presence in her biggest concerts. She bounces around the stage and whips her long-legged strut into high gear. But she’s also a more grounded presence in the acoustic songs that swap busy choreography for a guitar.
And she shows some acting chops in a well-choreographed routine about a wrong dinner date. During the Eras Tour, Swift brought on a handful of special guests to join her onstage. This includes her ex-boyfriend Taylor Lautner for the video for “I Can See You.”
The Twilight star appeared in the clip wearing head-to-toe black. He crept into a dark museum while appearing to be on a secret mission. However, it’s still unclear whether Taylor and Taylor will team up again in their upcoming films.
The Eras Tour film will give fans an up-close look at their onstage chemistry. The way they play off of each other is something worth seeing again.
Hints that she and Joe Alwyn split
As the reigning queen of heartbreak anthems, it’s no surprise that fans look for any clues that her split from Joe Alwyn may have been less drama-free than reported. Even though she and her team have denied any drama, some of her concert film’s bonus features sparked fan theories that the “Blank Space” singer has some tea to spill.
One such hint came during a show in Arlington, Texas, a week before news broke. During that performance, Swift swapped out the Folklore track “Invisible String.” The song suggests that the two soulmates are fated to be together.
She swapped it out for the more down-to-earth track “The 1.” This song, on the other hand, details a breakup. After that subtle switch, fans speculated that Swift was dropping a hint that she and Alwyn were no longer together. This is (surprisingly) the first time the songstress hinted at her personal life during the tour.
Of course, the whole point of the tour is to give fans a front-row seat to her record-breaking journey and peek into her life. She’s delivering on both fronts, as she can’t hold on to tickets for more than an hour. Director Brent Wrench and cinematographer Brett Turnbull approved the song swap and continued delivering a concert-film experience to remember.
Taylor’s antics couple well with their detailed shots of the various incarnations she showcases in her sets. This is apparent during the fun and bouncy “Look What You Made Me Do.” Look at the vertigo-inducing overhead drone view of her faux cabin set during the “Folklore” segment and a sexy “Blank Space” number that sees the pop star flaunting her long legs as she sings.
