Instead of spending yet another Friday night out on the town in my beloved Isla Vista, my best friend and I took a short road trip to Ventura for the experience of a lifetime: the Taylor Swift|The Eras Tour concert film.
Some may say, “Eva, you saw the show three times, why do you need to see the movie?”
That’s completely true (and I have no regrets). However, I absolutely needed to see this masterpiece from the second I knew it existed.
After attending SoFi Nights 1 and 2 of the Eras Tour, I received something special at my shows — a notice about filming. To my surprise, there were dozens of cameras, on and off stage each night. In seeing the cameras, I realized that two of the best nights of my life, seeing my favorite person, were preserved for eternity! (Then I spontaneously bought tickets for closing night, which will live forever in my heart!)
According to AMC, this is not your typical movie experience — the theater encourages singing, dancing, friendship bracelet trading, Taylor-themed attire, and more! From the decision to go straight to theaters, to the encouragement of audience participation, to custom popcorn buckets and cups, to shutting down The Grove in LA for its premiere, it’s clear that Swift was giving her fans the experience of a lifetime (again) — which is exactly why I needed to go, even if I had to fight for my life in yet another ticket queue (instigating Ticketmaster — The Great War flashbacks).
Upon arriving at my theater, I felt a genuine giddiness I hadn’t felt since being at the actual tour. I don’t know if it was the posters of Swift, the dozens of Swifties donned in Taylor’s merchandise, or the $10 Diet Coke I bought (in my new Eras cup, obvi), but the environment was abuzz with anticipation!
Before the film started, I heard the chatter of my fellow Swifties and knew I was at home — theatergoers were speculating about the upcoming 1989 (Taylor’s Version) release and “double album theory,” discussing their surprise songs from past tour dates, and fawning over Travis Kelce. The one-of-a-kind atmosphere of connection and love I felt at my Eras Tour dates was instantly replicated inside the theater.
While I’ve seen plenty of Swifties choose a interactive, party-like experience for the film, my theater opted for a more casual approach: dancing and singing from the comfort of our seats, which I was honestly grateful for at 9:45pm! My group also took part in the audience participation traditions of the live show, like “1, 2, 3, Let’s go B*tch!” and “You forgive, you forget, but you never let it go,” which made my Swiftie heart so happy!
I knew I would absolutely love the movie, as I do all things Taylor Swift, but I was not expecting to cry! From the moment Swift made her appearance on stage, the waterworks started for me! There was just something so special about knowing I was one of those thousands of cheering voices; I felt like I’d reconnected to the most special tour moments, preserved like a time capsule for me to revisit.
Although I’ve seen a few Swifties complaining about certain songs being cut from the film (I still haven’t recovered from “The Archer” not being included), I didn’t feel that these absences detracted from my experience. Personally, I found myself loving the film for showing me all the details I missed: from custom microphones for each Era, to Taylor’s silly or serious facial expressions, to the incredible dancers and their gorgeous costumes. While the film may have been missing some important moments, it provided the bigger picture of the show Swift put on for us in its entirety — it was a platform for us to be able to appreciate each and every detail.
Compiled of footage from SoFi Nights 1-3, the film seamlessly spliced together various angles and perspectives of the show for a flawless viewing experience. However, some keen-eyed viewers noticed the differences in Taylor’s hair curliness, or chipped nail polish to differentiate between each night’s footage. I, on the other hand, was eagerly spotting the differences based on her conversations with the audience (she said I was part of her “soulmate” crowd on SoFi Night 2 — one of my favorite moments that ended up being eternalized by the film!).
The Eras Tour was truly a one-of-a-kind experience — and I am so grateful to Taylor Swift for not only giving us the show of a lifetime, but for preserving it for us forever.
October has proved to be a busy month for us Swifties, and it’ll only get busier with 1989 (Taylor’s Version) dropping on October 27th. In the meantime, you should definitely secure some movie tickets if you want to smile, laugh, cry, or all of the above.
Who knows, I might just have to see the movie three times, too!