Stars: 5/5 
When it comes to Taylor Swift, there are two categories, you either love her or love to hate her. Slowly, I’ve transitioned into an accidental Swiftie. With her never fading smile, charm, and the fact she’s a fellow Nashvillian, I couldn’t help but grow to love her. However, “Miss Americana” highlights the vulnerable interior Swift is now ready to show the world.
The documentary opens with Swift reflecting on old writing journals, sharing her belief that to be successful she had to be praised by the public. We watch her transform from her immediate success with her debut album, “Taylor Swift”, to the crushing reality of learning “Reputation” flopped at the Grammys.
We watch her grow from the curly haired teen determined to conquer country music to the fierce woman she is today. Swift reveals the lingering ghosts of an eating disorder and the crushing, evolving weight of constantly needing to be praised in order to feel validated.
Ultimately, we see her crash and burn before rising from the ashes. From tackling politics and taking control of her image, she shows no sign of backing down. Witnessing the raw insecurities Swift carries with her makes us feel like we’ve known her for years.
Honestly, I started crying 10 minutes in and and in total I teared up five times. I wasn’t expecting to be so affected. I thought I already knew who Swift was. She’s always treated her fans like her best friends with a genuine glimpse into her life. Listening to her albums and watching her performances is an insight, but it isn’t the whole truth.
Seeing her breakdown from the detrimental effects of the scrutiny and judgement was humanizing. Swift isn’t supposed to be insecure; she’s Taylor Swift. Despite placing her on a pedestal for years, I found myself relating to her biggest insecurities, and it was a reminder that she is simply human, a fact that the public and the press have forgotten.
“Miss Americana” is an eye opening revelation of the hard limits and silent suffering Swift has gone through but it’s more than that. It’s goodbye to the young Taylor Swift. After watching her career grow throughout the documentary, we witness Swift completely destroy who she was in order to become who she was meant to be.
Just like her music, Swift pours her heart and soul into this film with a purpose. She wants the entire world to know the old Taylor can’t come to the phone anymore and she isn’t sorry for it.