A Netflix Original Picture, Directed by Lana Wilson.
Taylor Swift is one of the biggest selling, highly decorated, and most talked about celebrities of the 21st Century, and this documentary allows us behind closed doors to get a better understanding of who she is.
This is less a story about how a country girl managed to rise to the top of a male dominated industry, and more about the person herself.
We see how famous incidents have effects her (the shocking and indefensible Kanye moment in 2009, the Kim vs Taylor feud, her finally making a political stand) and it gives context to these moments we all saw play out from the outside.
On an interesting side note, Swift has a very powerful speech about being a ‘nice girl’, which really made me think of the ‘cool girl’ speech from Gone Girl, so if there are any Amy Dunne fans watching this, I’m sure that will amuse you too.
She makes it clear that for much of her life she put her happiness in the hands of people liking her, which is something many people can relate to, and it is great to see her healthy growth in how she feels about herself and how she lives her life in her own way.
The way she deals with her sexual assault case and her eventual step into politics is commendable, and she seems determined to support the fans and the people who have got her where she is. Taylor Swift is now “un-muzzled” (as she herself puts it) and ready to fight for what she believes in.
I will say that while this is clearly a stage managed documentary, so it is not possible to get the full picture and unflinching understanding of who she truly is, I do believe this shows us a lot and makes one point very clear to me.
Strip away all the fame and fortune, and Taylor Swift is a good person, who is actively trying to educate herself so she can continue to be an ally to those who need her the most.
Rating = 3.5/5
Howe's World of Film and TV 