More Eras Tour: Staffer reviews Taylor Swift's new concert movie, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

Sitting in my bed, I got the notification from a friend that Taylor Swift was releasing a movie on Oct. 13 documenting her latest tour — the Eras Tour. Scenes of one of her previous movies, “Miss Americana," flashed through my head as I pictured this new movie "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour," to be exactly like the up close and personal one. Spoiler alert: it wasn't.

Ever since we attended the Kansas City show on July 7, my mom and I have kept close watch on social media for any opportunity to relive one of the best nights of our lives. Finding out that Taylor had taken the tour to cinemas seemed like the solution we were waiting for.

IMDB advertised the movie as a “Cultural phenomenon [that] continues on the big screen,” and they encourage you to “Immerse yourself in this once-in-a-lifetime concert film experience with a breathtaking, cinematic view of the history-making tour.”

Now that sounds amazing, but I already got the concert experience. I wanted a more mature “Miss Americana”- documentary style film over the “Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour.” I can binge documentaries with a changing plot, but I’ve never been captivated by movies that stay in one setting throughout the film.

In “Miss Americana,” I felt so connected to Taylor and exposed to her raw feelings. She'd be smiling one minute and crying the next — all while traveling throughout her tours and the stages of that era in her singing career. 

Even though it was exactly as advertised — a concert film — I would’ve preferred more personal moments with Taylor. We got no behind-the-scenes details like we did with “Miss Americana.” I’m getting her stage presence and a few clips of the crowd's reactions but I’m not getting the intimate hugs from her friends after creating a new song or precious moments with her that we've never seen. This left me chewing my popcorn and thinking back to which song is next on her setlist, rather than connecting to Taylor and becoming attached to what may happen next in the movie.

The most disappointing moment in the movie had to be the second I realized Taylor completely left out “The Archer” — one of my favorite songs in the "Lover” album. As if that wasn’t already a stab in the back, Taylor also left out “No Body No Crime,” “Long Live,” “Cardigan” and "Wildest Dreams.” All songs I was anticipating listening to throughout the movie. I still sang my heart out to every song that played, but I would’ve stayed the extra hour to get to hear those songs in the movie. 

Don't get me wrong, I deeply enjoyed the close-ups of Taylor and her dancers owning the stage performing with more energy in each dance, but I wish there was more of a vlog-style aspect to the film. Even some raw excited Taylor emotions or her talking about her surprise songs at each show would’ve sufficed.

Taylor’s goal was to allow for those who didn’t attend the concert to share the incredible experience and for others to relive it, which makes her so impactfully different from any other artist. While I appreciate her thoughtfulness, I hope Taylor has more in store for fans like me anxious for behind the scenes work in her recent years while planning for the tour.