Critical response Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions received positive reviews from film and music critics. On
review aggregator website
Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of List of films with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes| based on reviews, with an average rating of . On
Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 76 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Andrew Barker of
Variety praised the film's
picturesque setting, performances, and ability to recreate
Folklore's "sparse yet carefully textured soundscapes" with fewer instruments, and dubbed Swift's vocals as the film's "most striking element".
NME writer Will Richards named it a perfect "early
Christmas present" and praised its editing, especially when Swift and Dessner have a "genuinely touching" discussion on the meaning behind the song "Peace", followed by a performance of the song that "hits right in the gut". Writing for
The New York Times,
Jon Pareles dubbed the film a "musical experience" that heightens the album's "sense of pristine contemplation" using a small-scale, casual-looking
production.
i newspaper's Sarah Carson defined the film as "artfully crafted, aesthetically gorgeous, cosy cottagecore
escapism" with diverse conversations, such as light-hearted "giggly" discussions around the campfire to formal
introspection on stiff chairs. Carson opined that it sheds "genuine light" on Swift's work, seeing her at peace with her life, laughing, "publicly relaxed for the first time in a decade".
Decider critic Johnny Loftus found it refreshing to see and hear Swift in the "dressed-down setting" of
Long Pond Studio Sessions, calling the film "a balm for the soul as we wind down an extremely not cool year" and an intimate portrait of artists at work, in contrast to the pop persona that dominated Swift's career.
Little White Lies critic Sydney Urbanek lauded the film as a "triumphant debut" for Swift as a film director, as well as the cast's on-screen presence: Swift's and Antonoff's "captivating" one-on-one chats and Dessner's studio focus. Alex Hudson of
Exclaim! described the film as "an oasis of tranquility in a chaotic time", in which "even the biggest pop star on Earth holed up and got cozy and insular". He admired Swift's rapport with Antonoff—their "laugh-out-loud" jokes—and the discussions that yielded "interesting insights and factoids" about the songwriting of
Folklore.
Junkee's Richard He complimented Swift's vocals, emotion, the film's visuals and intimacy, and the cast's instrumental skills; he described the film as a "masterclass" in songcraft and "a rare glimpse inside a genius songwriter's mind". In He's words, "Great popstars embody our times; great songwriters address them. Taylor Swift is doing both".
Rob Sheffield of
Rolling Stone praised the cast's chemistry and asserted that
The Long Pond Studio Sessions is not a mere
footnote to the album but rather a "stunning musical statement in its own right, full of stripped-down acoustic warmth". He underlined how Swift moves past vague anecdotes about the tracks by explaining why she felt the need to write such music in the first place. Branding it a "very beautifully done" film,
The Daily Telegraphs Kate Solomon called it a "very warm two hours of music that gives the songs a new lease of life", and observed the parallels between the "luscious, remote surroundings" of the studio and how they reflect the "lusciousness and isolation" of the songs.
Stuff critic James Croot compared the special's atmosphere to that of
MTV Unplugged, and added that the film's production is slick despite the intimate appeal, similar to Swift's 2020
Netflix documentary,
Miss Americana. Drew Taylor of
Collider labelled the film "a winning examination and celebration" of
Folklore, and "a look at one of the world's biggest pop stars at her most vulnerable and artistically ambitious". He picked Antonoff as the more active personality, while Dessner is "terse", except at the point where he opens up about his depression—"a moment that is both incredibly vulnerable and also powerful". Ryan Lattanzio of
IndieWire described the film as "a window into the introspective songwriting" of
Folklore that "isn't going to blow your head off" but is a "fine supplement to one of the year's most beloved albums".
The Guardian's Elle Hunt wrote that the film shows Swift at ease, but also at the "peak of her power" with little to prove, while her song-by-song commentary depicts the "shifting emotional tenor" she felt in quarantine. However, Hunt felt that Swift not name-dropping her detractors "seems coy" as it limits the film's personal reflection.
Accolades == Impact ==