Big Picture Big Sound

This weekend, as a non-Swiftie, I dared to step foot on hallowed ground and go see "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" at an IMAX showing. There had been videos circulating all weekend of movie theaters turned into full-blown concerts with audience members singing and dancing along and taking in the entire theatrical experience of seeing the beloved pop star. Going in only knowing a handful of hits from her expansive catalog, there's a feeling of being a stranger in a strange land, but "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" is an undeniable cinematic experience.

I don't want to downplay my knowledge of her songs; I sang with my friends to her more pop-infused titles like "Shake It Off," "Blank Space," or "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" with the infectious spirit of being with people who were more excited to be there than I was myself. But, when it came to more obscure tracks, my hands were folded in my lap and I just took it all in.

Swift's talent was obviously not a revelation while watching the concert movie; she has been famous and popular and constantly working since she was a teenager. What was striking about the near-three-hour movie was the way she genuinely appreciates her fans. The movie was filmed at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and was the last show of the American leg of her tour. When you go to concerts, the performer always gives an obligatory thank you to their audience for coming and spending far too much money to do so. Swift delivers these performer-to-audience pleasantries like she may never perform again. She is keenly aware of her stature in the music industry, but she's even more aware that longtime fans have propelled her to the level she is at now.

The show is structured in chapters (well, eras) of Swift's life and career. Undoubtedly, some are more fun to be a part of than others. The "1989" segment signaled her comfortable shift to pure pop and is the liveliest portion of the show. Admittedly, my audience was a bit muted (perhaps 11:45 on a Sunday morning is a bit too early for everyone to jam out in a movie theater), but when the "1989" era hit, people were ready to sing and dance. The movie lulls when Swift shifts into her more melancholic pandemic-era "Evermore" and "Folklore," two sequences that invite beautiful imagery, if not always engaging songs.

In the midst of less-engaging portions of the movie, my mind wandered into existential spiraling over the state of the movie business (as it tends to do). Swift went around traditional movie studios and instead struck a deal with AMC Theaters to release her concert film. Is this the future of theatrical exhibition? Is there truly no room for mid-level narrative features to exist on one screen when someone like Swift takes over an entire multiplex? Perhaps, if movie theaters want to stay alive.

"The Eras Tour" film is a way to engage fans who didn't want to open several credit cards in order to afford going to a concert. Director Sam Wrench and his cameras take in the entire stadium for an immersive experience. The cliché would be to say you feel like you're in the audience, but on a giant IMAX screen, I felt like I was on stage with Swift. Wrench's cameras are often swirling around her as she performs, while the audience is filled with camera phone lights. He creates a dazzling visual experience that makes you feel like you are floating through space, amongst the stars.

If a Swiftie in your life wants you to join them at "The Eras Tour," go and take it all in. Being with a fan will help provide context for some songs, as my one friend with an encyclopedic knowledge of TMZ gossip was able to do on a song-to-song basis. I now know which song is about Harry Styles and which one is about Jake Gyllenhaal.

So, if this is the future of a movie-going, perhaps its not ideal for us who want to see small movies like "Past Lives" or studio comedies like "No Hard Feelings" flourish in a communal setting. But, should movie theaters be reserved for major events like "The Eras Tour," I suppose it's better than the alternative.