Miss Americana

The documentary follows Taylor Swift from the 2018 Reputation stadium tour to the release of Lover in 2019. The subjects are heavy: an eating disorder, body image, her mother's cancer diagnosis, constant press pressure and the sexual assault trial she won. Lana Wilson directed. It premiered at Sundance on 23 January 2020 and went up on Netflix on 31 January. Its most discussed section is her entry into politics. Swift had stayed silent for years; the film shows the moment she comes out against the Republican senator Marsha Blackburn in Tennessee and the scenes where she argues the decision with her team. Her stated reason is Blackburn's voting record on women's and LGBTQ rights. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 91 percent. Wesley Morris in the New York Times made it a Critic's Pick and described it as eighty-five minutes of translucence. Benjamin Lee in the Guardian said the opposite: brand management dressed up as insight. Who it is for: viewers curious about the back side of pop stardom and about an artist breaking her political silence. Who it is not for: anyone expecting an independent portrait. The film was made with the artist's own team and she chooses what it shows.