A Disney Plus Feature, Directed by Taylor Swift.
Taylor Swift started the year of 2020 with a bang, as she became the talk of the town at Sundance, and then later the general public when it dropped on Netflix, with her documentary Miss Americana (2020), which took a look at her life so far, with a particular focus on the last two years as she underwent a career rejuvenation and took the bold step to go public with her political beliefs and the true impact her voice can have. That was one of the best documentaries of the entire year, and gave many a truly unique look at a star that they never would’ve usually had.
She did not rest on this though, and in July of 2020 released a surprise album, folklore, that was made in lockdown and eschews Swift’s more recent pop sound for an indie folk sound, and became arguably the best and most defining album of 2020. This ‘documentary’ is far from Miss Americana, and is much more of a simple documenting of the making of folklore, but that doesn’t make it any less entertaining. Just like the album itself, this film is packed full of calming tones, emotional and nostalgic themes, and a real sense of community and creativity.
There is very little to say from a filmmaking perspective, as the film is largely split between sweeping shots of the gorgeous woodland location, Swift singing in the recording studio, and Swift chatting with Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff about the origin of the songs. If you are coming here for a ground-breaking documentary or one with huge reveals about Taylor Swift and her celebrity life, this isn’t for you. But if you are simply here to reminisce about the first time you heard folklore and to witness the birth of this beautiful album, then you will deeply enjoy it.
Seeing Swift talk about the origins of each song in the album, how she wrote it and what she believes it is about is incredibly insightful, and adds an extra layer to the album itself. Then seeing her perform every song live too, especially in a time when who knows when we will be able to see live music again, so this was a welcome treat. The whole thing is just incredibly relaxing and the perfect viewing for these locked down winter months.
“Who knows, if she never showed up, what could’ve been?”
Rating = 4/5
Howe's World of Film and TV 