An accompanying 3D concert film, documenting the Manchester shows and co-directed by Eilish and James Cameron.

I have some frustrations with many a concert film. Often, they are over-edited to the point of losing that live feeling. They come off as well-done music videos and lose the vicarious thrill of what makes the prospect interesting. Secondly, they can focus on a narrative in between songs to shoehorn in a different story. Sometimes, this works. See Madonna: Truth or Dare, which documented a tour from a pop star at the height of her fame. Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft – The Tour Live in 3D (a cumbersome title if ever there was) succeeds because it doesn’t fall victim to either scenario.

I’m not a huge Eilish fan, but I think she’s decent and I did catch this tour when it stopped in LA and was curious about the process of making it and reliving that experience. The film captures the chaotic energy of the show itself, from the moody, elegiac tones of “Your Power” and “TV” to the apeshit energy of “Oxytocin” and “Guess.” While I generally abhor 3D (too many times it feels like it minimizes the visuals and larger-than-life scenes feel small), it’s actually used effectively here. The tiny Eilish bouncing around the stage, commanding an arena of adoring fans is exactly what I experienced in person. Thankfully, the other footage, is only interspersed sporadically. A couple moments show the intensity of the production, but mostly they only serve to highlight Eilish’s relationship to her fans, which I was less interested in.

Co-directed by Eilish herself with James Cameron, you even see him interviewing Eilish in a few scenes, the film is visually stunning, and the music is great. If you dig Eilish and if you missed the show, then you’ll probably enjoy this. If you aren’t as familiar, this probably won’t do much for you.

Jonathan’s grade – B-