Renaissance: A Film By Beyonce (NC16)

170 minutes, now showing

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is not the only concert film that is a hot ticket right now.

Beyonce’s Renaissance World Tour was the other big music event that dominated headlines in 2023, and its film is finally on big screens in Singapore – at $28 a ticket – after opening in the United States on Dec 1.

Written, directed and produced by the American superstar, Renaissance: A Film By Beyonce chronicles the inner workings of her massive 2023 Renaissance World Tour, which started in Stockholm, Sweden, in May and concluded in Kansas City in the US in October.

Raking in US$579.8 million (S$768.6 million), it is the second highest-grossing tour of all time by a female artiste, behind Swift’s ongoing Eras jaunt. It marked Beyonce’s first time back on the road since 2018’s On the Run II Tour alongside her husband, celebrated American rapper and hip-hop mogul Jay-Z.

Filmed at arena-size concerts that took place across North America and Europe, Renaissance: A Film By Beyonce features a repertoire that comprises mostly tracks from her acclaimed celebratory 2022 album Renaissance, as well as signature hits such as Break My Soul (2022), Run The World (Girls) (2011) and Crazy In Love (2003).

Additionally, its documentary-style segments provide an intimate behind-the-scenes look at what work and life are like for Queen Bey, the artiste with the most Grammy wins of all time.

Here are three highlights.

1. Spectacular visuals and performances

The film captures dazzling showmanship on stage and the euphoric reaction from the star’s dedicated fan base.

Watching it on the big screen is an immersive experience. The macro views that showcase the grand spectacle of a stadium show are mixed with close-ups that capture the singer and her dancers’ facial expressions.

She has a commanding presence over the packed stadiums, but when she looks into the camera, as she often does in the film, the performance feels intimate.

Thanks to nifty editing, you get to see the various outfits that she wears at different tour stops while singing the same song.

There are cameos from other stars too, from guest performers such as Diana Ross and Kendrick Lamar to Megan Thee Stallion and Destiny’s Child members, as well as shots of Lizzo and Cardi B in the audience.

2. The artiste, the boss and the mother

As one of the most idolised music stars of the modern era, Beyonce has a larger-than-life, almost mythical public persona. The film has many scenes that give a sneak peek of what she is like away from the spotlight.

There is a lot of emphasis on family, primarily her role as mother to her three children – Blue Ivy, 11, and six-year-old twins Rumi and Sir. Blue Ivy gets the most screen time, mostly because she has a scene-stealing role as a dancer during the segment where her mother performs My Power from the soundtrack of the 2019 movie The Lion King.

Jay-Z, Beyonce’s mother Tina Knowles and father Mathew Knowles figure prominently too. The film includes a loving tribute to the late “Uncle” John Edward Rittenhouse Jr, the family member who designed the star’s early outfits and inspired her artistry in a big way.

You also get a sense of how she is directly involved in all aspects of the tour – from the choreography and lighting to the camerawork and sequence of songs.

At one point, a crew member tries to tell her that a particular piece of technical equipment she wanted does not exist. Bey the boss had done her homework, though, and coolly corrects him.

3. Behind the scenes of a mammoth tour

Viewers also get an introduction to the army of skilled and hard-working people required to pull off a tour of such scale.

Everything is built by hand, Beyonce narrates, and the audience sees workers installing the individual components that make up the gargantuan screen on stage, as well as the tailors who stick on each individual sequin on her costumes.

Instead of being typically camouflaged in black outfits, she has the stage crew wear prominent reflective suits to highlight their essential roles at the concerts.

One of her musicians, trumpeter Crystal Torres, may have been pregnant, but instead of getting side-lined, she proudly displays her baby bump while performing.

But as Beyonce sings in Flaws And All, nothing is perfect. In one scene, the power suddenly gets cut off. Viewers see the crew scramble and, together with the singer, make quick decisions on how to recover and continue with the show.