Lockdown had meant that normal concerts needed to be put on hold.
So Blackpink holds a pseudo concert performance with the twist of having no audience. The group opens with Kill This Love which is suitably killer.
The lack of audience is handled rather awkwardly. The women are doing their best but it’s clear that they have been drilled to pause for the audience to applaud, cheer, proclaim undying love and pledge a week’s wages worth of merchandise. The occasional bout of silence reminds the viewer that this was designed for a crowd and could have done with some alternative ideas.
The gig feels more like a warehouse gig rather than an arena one. It’s an adaptation that works well visually and shows that at least some modifications were done for this format.
The interviews scattered through the film do enable a bit more of an up-close and personal look at the group. It does feel manipulative and carefully controlled with what looks like well-rehearsed emotional statements and crying.
While the backing band are all masked up and kept well in the background, the group were well on the top of their game with plenty of fans around the world set to agree. They had a steady stream of hits that was slowly, but surely growing their fan base around the world.
Fans will lap it up with their only disappointment being that they could not be there in person.
The group work well during the actual performances with the vocals being serviceable. The between-song banter on the other hand feels scripted and forced and is not as convincing as they would have liked. Just performing to some emotionless cameras and assorted crew would not have helped.
The group perform all their hits with well-drilled aplomb. As is standard for Kpop performances there are pre-recorded backing vocal tracks to add some body to the vocals, but they are singing themselves for the most part.
The group is shot in the same way that has been done many times before in a concert film. There are some flourished though – especially when they take turns at solo performances – where they make use of the enforced format to play around with the visuals a little bit.
The film fulfils its goal of reminding why the band is loved in the first place and to make sure that love continues.
Bricks and Bluebottles 
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