Long live the memories that Tayor Swift fans have made in the nearly two decades since the country-turned-pop star’s rise to fame. The VMA artist of the decade and pop culture icon has made her mark on the music industry, but she’s also made waves in Hollywood. Between roles in movies, cameos in TV shows, and having her hand in more than a few soundtracks, Swift is taking the cinematic landscape by storm the same way she did the music industry.
Swift’s journey in film dates back to 2010 when she starred in Valentine’s Day alongside Taylor Lautner. Since then, she’s been a part of concert movies, a documentary, and other on-screen projects to keep fans sated. And she's releasing the Eras Tour movie in theaters next month.
While it may take some time to hit a streaming service, Swifties are fortunate to have other content they can watch online. Here are the best movies and TV shows for Taylor Swift fans to watch.
Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour
Taylor Swift’s big reputation was larger than life during her Reputation Stadium Tour. And for fans who couldn’t score tickets, post-Reputation Swifties and anyone who wants to relive the glory days, the concert can be enjoyed long after its 2018 run. Swifties didn’t have to wait long to see the tour on their screens, either. The movie received a 2018 release date.
The epic 2-hour film arguably boasts Swift’s showiest tour prior to the Eras Tour, with an unending stream of impressive effects and choreography. Though the album got snubbed at the Grammys, but it's a fan-favorite record among Swifties who view it almost like a battle cry against Swift’s long-time critics and haters. Swift went from "Shake it Off" to "Bad Blood," and fans were "Ready For It." Directed by Paul Dugdale, the concert film also features cameos from Camila Cabello, Charlie XCX and Tiffany Haddish.
Watch on Netflix
Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions
Taylor Swift put everyone’s pandemic productivity to shame. Not only did she create two 17-song albums in 2020 (Folklore and Evermore), but Swift rerecorded her own versions of Red and Fearless in 2021. She even directed the short video All Too Well: The Movie that year.
But wait. We’re not done. In conjunction with her Folklore release, Swift partook in a documentary/concert film chronicling the making of the pandemic album. The Disney Plus movie even includes a separate, chiller live recording of Folklore, which she just released in vinyl form during 2023’s Record Store Day.
Naturally, the documentary takes place in the woodsy Hudson Valley recording studio, Long Pond Studio, where she recorded the album and documentary alongside Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff. Even better? Swift directed the film herself.
Watch on Disney Plus
Miss Americana
Up until her Netflix documentary, Swift had been fairly silent on the price of her fame. Yet by the time Reputation had come and gone, her isolation and new lyrics made it apparent that her star-studded life had a darker, lonelier side. It wasn’t until 2020 that Swift opened the curtains to share that vulnerability with her fans and critics alike, taking back the narrative from the gossip and headlines that had followed her for a decade.
In 2020, Swift released a Netflix documentary titled Miss Americana — named after her song "Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince" off the Lover album. The title is clearly a nod to the expectations of fame and popularity, doused with the dark side that comes with it. Lana Wilson directed the documentary that covers everything from so-called fans stalking Swift's home, the artist’s struggle with self-image and an eating disorder, her journey toward speaking out about politics, and her songwriting methods.
Watch on Netflix
Cats
OK, so Cats definitely isn’t the most respected movie of 2019. The CGI alone had fans roasting the film before it even came out. But whether or not the graphics make you giggle, Swift channeled her love of cats as she brought her character Bombalurina to life. The movie features a slate of A-list talent with names like Idris Elba, Jason Derulo, Judi Dench, and James Corden.
Swift didn’t have the largest role in the film, but her greatest contribution comes from one of Swift’s most underrated songs: "Beautiful Ghosts." The songwriter teamed up with Cats creator Andrew Lloyd Webber to write the song for Victoria (Francesca Hayward) along with a reprise for Judi Dench (Old Deuteronomy). Swift gets her chance to shine with her own song during the movie’s end credits, when her recording of "Beautiful Ghosts" plays.
Watch on Max
New Girl, 'Elaine’s Big Day'
Taylor Swift’s third record Speak Now really comes to life in the season 2 finale of the Fox hit New Girl. The series centers on Zooey Deschanel’s character Jess, as she moves into an apartment with three guys after a bad breakup. In season 2, Jess’ best friend Cece (Hannah Simone) allows her family to set up an arranged marriage, but let’s just say that sparks didn’t fly.
After Cece leaves the groom at the alter, Swift has her Speak Now moment when he calls out Swift’s character Elaine, “I want to marry you.” Lending a nod to the many journals that have fueled Swift’s songwriting career, Elaine tells him that she writes about him in her journal every night. She dramatically suggests they elope and he carries her out of the venue. Despite the relatively short cameo, the scene has reached meta-iconic status. The episode, "Elaine’s Big Day," is even named after Swift’s character.
Watch on Hulu
The Summer I Turned Pretty
You can’t think of The Summer I Turned Pretty without thinking of Taylor Swift. The series is essentially a love letter to the songstress at this point. The Prime Video series chronicles a summer lovin’ love triangle between Belly (Lola Tung) and brothers Conrad (Christopher Brinley) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno).
Swift’s songs like "Bigger Than the Whole Sky," "False God," "Sweet Nothing," "Cruel Summer" and "Lover" are littered throughout show. The series also used "August" and teased then-unreleased songs like "This Love (Taylor’s Version)" and "Back to December (Taylor’s Version)" in promotional materials. Basically, if you want sneak peeks and plenty of Swiftie Easter Eggs, The Summer I Turned Pretty is the show to watch and follow on social media.
Watch on Prime Video
Where the Crawdads Sing and The Hunger Games
Swift doesn’t have to make an on-screen appearance in every film or TV show she’s impacted. Some of her best movie moments come from her additions to soundtracks — where she’s written songs specifically for the films they appear in. Back in 2012, Swift penned two songs for the post-apocalyptic YA film The Hunger Games, starring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen.
Her song "Safe & Sound" received a single release a month prior to the movie's debut. And while "Safe & Sound" isn’t in the main film, it plays during the movie’s end credits. The single also won the Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media. Meanwhile, Swift’s song "Eyes Open" also appears on the film’s soundtrack.
A decade later, Swift wrote the song "Carolina" for the adaptation of Where the Crawdads Sing. Carolina received multiple award nominations and took home the title for MTV Movies & TV Award for Best Song. Like The Hunger Games, the Olivia Newman-directed movie is a coming-of-age story. Except this time, it revolves around an orphan accused of murder in the Deep South.
Watch Where the Crawdads Sing on Netflix and The Hunger Games on YouTube
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