Movie Review: No Bad Guys Here, "Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour" Is All Good
10/12 ForReel Score | 4/5 Stars
I first discovered Billie Eilish in 2016, after hearing her song “Ocean Eyes”. I’ve followed her career with interest since then, and it’s been really cool to see the person I used to listen to on Soundcloud continue to expand and grow as an artist. Now teaming up with cinematic titan James Cameron to co-direct a documentary around her 2025 Hit Me Hard & Soft tour, this film is the cheapest concert ticket you will ever buy. A cinematic experience truly unlike any other, I was absolutely blown away. The concert scenes reminded me of films like Jonathan Demme’s Stop Making Sense or Jon M. Chu’s 2010 Justin Bieber documentary, Never Say Never. Cameron has always been an artist that has pushed filmmaking to new heights, so it brings me great pleasure to say this is one of the best concert films of the decade so far.
Image courtesy of Paramount
James Cameron has been a big proponent of 3D for years, going as far as to shoot this entire documentary in the format. It results in some of the most breathtaking images of the year so far, using the 3D to give you a feeling of envelopment inside the concert in a way I don’t think you can get unless you're actually there. It didn’t help that my screening was packed full of Billie Eilish fans, going as far as to create a mosh pit at the bottom of the screen after the first few songs. It was a cinematic experience unlike a concert in itself, as people loudly cheered between songs, and by the end people were singing along with the film. The film really showcases how influential Billie has become as an artist over the last decade, with fan testimonials cut throughout the film that explain how big of an impact Billie has had on them. One in particular involving Cameron himself was quite amusing.
Image courtesy of Paramount
If I had any negatives with the film, it would be that some of the fan testimonials edge on the border of navel gazing. One scene involving Billie watching her fans from the window did also feel slightly dystopian. The bits you get of footage you get outside the shows are interesting enough however. I really liked the insight into her pre-show process. Not to sound like a broken record, but the visuals are really worth the price of admission here. Blessed with Billie’s absolutely electric stage presence, this really is some of the greatest 3D work of Cameron’s filmmaking career. Scenes where Billie is backlit by a spotlight are so detailed you can see every speck of light in the frame.
I really think this one has the chance to be a really big hit on a level not unlike fellow popstar Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concert documentary, if the screening I went to was any indication. My final question is, when are we going to do one of these 3D concert documentaries for Trent Reznor?