“Olivia Rodrigo: GUTS World Tour” Film Review: We’re So Obsessed!

Listen up Livies! This is not a drill! So, pick up your megaphones and rock with us before it gets brutal out here! We remember when the “Eras Tour” concert special took streaming by storm around this time last year. This time, it’s Netflix’s turn to bring the heat. So, it’s no surprise that they decided to partner with Olivia Rodrigo to bring the lights and sounds of her sold-out concert in Los Angeles right to your homes.

Ain’t a bad idea, right?

The 21-year-old Grammy-winning songstress, known for her open-book, hard-hitting lyrics first kicked off her worldwide stint in Palm Desert, California. Due to overwhelming demand, her shows have done well commercially. Grossing over $180 million in her debut arena tour, our Gen-Z queen now holds the record for the highest-grossing act born in the 21st century.

As noted prior, this tour has been sold out worldwide and as such, many fans did not manage to snag a ticket to her live show. Well, at the very least here’s an opportunity to see the show in its totality and we couldn’t be happier!

So, we were in rooms counting down together in our purple garb and cowboy hats, as the purple birthday candles spelling out the album title melted away. It was a slow burn but one that we were waiting for with bated breath!

And so it begins.

ACT 1

As the lights flush out and the burnt-out candles whiff away in the wind, we see a monochrome film in the background with Rodrigo running through a hallway. The claustrophobic shots hasten and the music intensifies.

BAM! The star of the show is here, sparkling in silver!

Whipping out a headbanger with “Bad Idea Right?”. Despite the subject of her lyrics being an ex, the performer posits the question to her audience, as if challenging them and asking if seeing her that night was a decision that could have been backtracked on. But no… It becomes more apparent that it’s no longer a query. It’s a statement. It’s the bare fact that seeing her tonight was going to be one of the BEST nights they ever had!

As we move on to another rock anthem in “Ballad of A Homeschooled Girl”, it’s becoming more apparent that the energy is off the roof. Dang, what can we say, girl knows how to make an appearance.

With “Vampire”, the first single off of her sophomore album, the striking visuals come into play, cool and sad at first, but red and passionate with a bloody howling vengeance as the hook comes on. “You said it was true love, but wouldn’t that be hard?” The first time Olivia’s unmatched vocal talent comes into full view just like the moon behind her. And it wouldn’t be the last.

Next up, comes the first song from “Sour”, “Traitor”, which starts heavily with synth and transitions into the version we know. Accompanied by a shadowy dance routine, the backstabbing and gritty nature of the song gives a visceral ambience.

And now comes the segment that we’d dub the ‘sob shop’ because of how emotional and teary it gets. We focus on a shot of Olivia on the piano as the repeated hits of the A key linger. The atmosphere gets foggy – possibly to get us all misty-eyed as well, and soon enough, “Driver’s License” runs its verse.

Hearing the studio version is already heartbreaking enough, but when it comes to her live vocals, Olivia takes it up a notch. There’s a special ingredient in Olivia’s first single that just hits so damn hard and drives itself into our cores. It’s that primal experience of heartbreak that we know so well and even though the experiences might be different, the cries are universal. Before we knew it, tears strolled down our cheeks as the bridge came into full view.

“Red Lights, Stop Signs”

Ooh, the shivers down our spines…

Before we could even grab our tissues, she proceeded with the original album closer that is “Teenage Dream”, lighting up the stage screen with her younger alter ego. Like a voyeuristic flash of her life, we are treated to birthdays and joyful little moments of a rising performer, prancing her way across stages, and playing with dolls.

“They all say that it gets better the more you grow, They all say that it gets better but what if I don’t”, chant the crowd as once again, we were left sobbing, reminiscing of childhood and fears and the challenges of growing up, adulting and responsibilities.

There’s no doubt that Olivia begins first by telling about her experience of writing this just before she turned 19. Of how, doubtful that she would enjoy the change of growing up, which some of us experience – we know we did – and how, three years later, her perspective has changed.

It’s sweet how Olivia’s 5-year-old self makes a voice cameo as the song ends and cements herself as part of her future legacy!

Act 2

Reining in the audience with “Pretty Isn’t Pretty”, Rodrigo and her dancers interpret the story of a young girl trying to fit in. There’s a lot of focus on reflections in her mirrors and how her dancer personalities had so much self-doubt and struggle with their image. From changing her body, and her face, to trying every lipstick shade, it just didn’t feel enough.

Rodrigo then takes it back to her naive days with “Love Is Embarrassing”, as she bemoans her own life love life decisions. Indeed, those knees from her Disney days are calling it back to when she was at her most cringy self.

After introducing her band, she quite literally brings it down with “Making The Bed”. Unique, as it is the only number where she is lying on the floor throughout, she channels her emotions from the depths of her heart, speaking out on fame fallacies and parasocial relationships.

Act 3

As if on cue, a sea of stars light up the ceiling, with thousands of tiny glows from below blending into the artificial stratosphere. One of the most magical parts of the night, the luminous ambience props up a metallic crescent. The star of the show has commanded her minions and stolen the MOON!

Anchored safely on the prop, Olivia performs “Logical” and “Enough for You”, giving out generous waves and energetic bursts of “Hi’s” to wide-eyed Livies below. Well, we do have to be honest and say one thing. If Miss Olivia was our math teacher, we’d probably be failing because she taught us that “two plus two equals five”.

After landing back safely on Earth, the singing cosmonaut swaps out her suit to recite the poetic dramatism of “Lacy”. In her circle cutout stage, surrounded by her dancers lying in a concentric arrangement, a lot of the visuals come from above, showcasing the extensions of Olivia’s inferiority complex in this ballad.

Grabbing a purple guitar, the attention is turned to the crowd of L.A. where she muses about being back in her native hometown. It’s home to her and being in her bed, eating In-N-Out Burgers, and driving down the streets of the City of Angels was very comforting after being on tour for a while. It’s a perfect segue into the first deluxe track, “So American”.

After briefly receiving gifts from the audience, it was time to get green with envy from “Jealousy, Jealousy”. We found it cute that her bassist, Moa, also got a matching hat that Olivia was wearing so that was the one time she couldn’t complain about not having any gifts on tour! Well, her fans couldn’t either as this segment brought Olivia down to the barricades to meet them,

For this next part, we were collectively losing our MINDS. Yes, we knew that this guest did come out to perform for the tour. Yes, we were aware of the mutual producer connection. But to see it in this movie was like witnessing a historic moment unfurling in its full glory. Indeed, when she brought out Miss Chappell Roan, we were screaming! “H.O.T.T.O.G.O” was the moment as we danced shamelessly in our cubes. indeed, that was the ‘Femininomenon’!

Upon returning to the stage, she brings out her guitarist, Daisy, for an acoustic set, stripping down the mood on her debut hits “Happier” and “Favorite Crime”. There’s a brief goofy moment where she recalls how the former came to her and she simply ran to the bathroom and recorded it because she didn’t want to lose it. Well, what can we say, that’s the mark of a true auteur. Oh, Olivia. Never change!

To close out the act, she gets flashbacks through “Deja Vu”, the screen lucid like a dream. Of course, we were all singing in harmony when it came to that iconic bridge!

In one of the more emotional songs from Guts which feels like a sister to “Driver’s License”, “The Grudge” plays, evoking feelings of bitterness and a one-sided conflict that remains unresolved. And just like the aforementioned, it doesn’t end on the chord it’s supposed to end with, leaving listeners hanging and longing for a conclusion. It’s a bittersweet way to end this segment.

Act 4

This is probably the act where Olivia has the most attitude adjustment. Donning a scarlet bodysuit, there’s a fierce aura out here as the heavy electric riffs reverberate through the crowd. This time Olivia is out for blood through her hits like “Brutal” and “Obsessed”, utilising the secret camera under the stage to great effect.

Provocative and outright sensual, there’s no doubt that it’s a dramatic vibe of a punk teenager. And when we say attitude, she turns it up by playing the rhythms on an electric guitar and proceeds to smash the drums repeatedly with a drumstick that she randomly takes. It’s so chaotic and we were obsessed with it!

It was then time to shout and let it all out for “All American Bitch”. Building up to a moment of cathartic release was a fantastic move as she commands the crowd to scream about something that pisses them off when the lights go off. The roof gets blown off with eardrum-shattering cries, even from our rooms before deliberately pushing the levels down to end the act.

Encore

We are in the last moments of this splendid show with one final outfit change as Olivia appears in a white tee spelling out “Liv Laugh Love”. And she doesn’t waste time in bringing back the energy as “Good4U” rings out in the arena.

Striking a post that calls back to how she opened the night, Olivia pulls out a megaphone to make one final banging statement. We knew we were getting riled up in this cheerleader era. It was to be burned into our memories and looked back upon. So, what better way to end it than with “Get Him Back”? Her final track blends everything we love about the fast-paced Liv, as the crowd chants this anthem about plotting revenge on an ex and sneakily executing that enraged retribution.

Before the night concluded, it was time for one final barricade walk, and as the camera lingers on her, we could tell how appreciative she was of her fans, taking as many gifts as she could carry or wear. From shades spelling out the title of the album, to cowboy hats, shirts, and bouquets, she gave the people who had come to her concert one last impression, however brief it was, to connect with their icon.

Side note: we do feel bad for that one plastic cup that dropped out of her arms while she was strolling by. Hopefully, it did get picked up by her crew after.

The confetti pops! The stage lights flash, signalling the end of the experience as Olivia bids the night goodbye and heads backstage.

Indeed, we can say that the concert film is a true representation of what the tour was like and the camera work does well to showcase the visual aspects of it all without being too overbearing, switching from the performer to the art that unfolds in the background.

It’s such a visceral adventure that Olivia’s team put together and her gift as a proficient performer is one to be admired. There’s an abundance in that teenage angsty energy that feeds off of and uses to full effect with that crowd and yet she finds a balance in showcasing the softer sounds that might not be less piercing, nonetheless, well-traveled and experienced.

As diehard Livies, we were blown away as queen slayed and left no crumbs on that night. As the credits roll to the tune of “Girl I’ve Always Been”, we are treated to a little behind-the-scenes look at how she prepares for shows. Of course, the show might last two hours, but it’s a constant work-in-progress when the lights aren’t Olivia. With vocal arpeggios, stretching, and working out, it’s no wonder how Olivia keeps herself in her best condition for every single show where she has to give her all.

So, if the question was asked to us, we’d probably say “Seeing Olivia tonight… was not a bad idea (right?)”

“Olivia Rodrigo: GUTS World Tour” is currently spilt on Netflix.