Miss Americana (2020)

One can easily attribute Miss Americana, Lana Wilson’s introspection to the professional and personal life of Taylor Swift, as a story of redemption for the singer-songwriter.

Swift was only 20 years old when Kanye West infamously interrupted her acceptance speech for winning Best Female Video at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. West accused her victory of being merely an upset win, claiming that her co-nominee, Beyoncé, “had one of the best videos of all time.”

In a sense, Miss Americana is the first intimate opportunity for Swift to tell her story. She has always been private, so this documentary provided a fresh and insightful view of the layers of her personal life. We also witness her time during the Reputation Station Tour of 2018, as she finally finds her voice as an artist, overwhelmed to find she is at the peak of her career at the young age of 28.

Swift yearned for something more, something more personal and open than a documentary. She evolved from being closeted about her opinions to igniting her voice as a force that rages for change. This hunger for change enables the documentary to become a true window into a woman’s yearning for maturity. Swift is aware that a major change is needed within herself, as well. This awareness is reflected in her latest album: Lover.

Miss Americana doesn’t have the right accessories to go head-to-head with the best documentaries about musicians, but its strengths are impressive in their rite. The film offers an intriguing portrait of a celebrity who, for the first time, may finally be opening herself up to the world.