Director: Amir Chamdin
Cast: Ghost
Screenplay: Tobias Forge
115 mins. Not Rated.

Swedish rock band Ghost has been around for 20 years now, with six albums, one concert/semi-narrative concert film in Rite Here Rite Now, and a diehard group of fans around the world, including myself and my wife who went to the recent Skeletour twice during its American leg. Now, at the finale of the tour and with lead singer Tobias Forge hinting at a break to explore new avenues (news recently broke of a directing gig on the upcoming V/H/S/Mixtape), the band has arrived with their second concert film, 2 Big to Rig, a more traditional collection of musical performances from the band’s two-night stay in Mexico City. While some fans may balk at the absence of the band’s notable story/lore elements, 2 Big to Rig is aiming to be a celebration of the fans that have given so much to the band as well as give some credit to the crew that worked so hard to pull off the tour.

It’s often difficult to break down the production of a concert film; the best ones are able to satisfy audiences from a musical perspective and also work as a document of the show, providing a movie-like experience without feeling too fabricated. Rite Here Rite Now had several interludes with Papa Emeritus (one of many fictional frontmen played by Forge) and, at times, felt a bit like a narrative feature intercut with concert performances, but 2 Big to Rig is completely focused on the concert experience of Mexico City, which had notably been planned for 3 nights but unfortunately Forge suffered from illness and canceled the first performance, leaving hundreds of Ghost fans disappointed. This footage is included, offering a respectful viewpoint at the unfortunate drawback of live performance.

Some fans will balk at the idea that this isn’t closer in tone and intention to Rite Here Rite Now, but I appreciated the different flavor to 2 Big to Rig. This year has had a few distinct concert films that have approached the behind-the-scenes of putting on a major show, like the James Cameron-directed Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft film. There are intercut moments focused on the hard work of the crew and some of the theatrics of the band, and I honestly wish there was even more of that in the finished film. It’s been rare for Ghost to be open about the behind-the-scenes of their band, making these inclusions a welcome addition.

Amir Chamdin directs the camerawork and presentation seemingly on the fly, less intentioned that I would think, and that frenetic direction works in the first half quite well, though I’d argue there are a few songs near the finale of the concert that are short-changed with shot composition too tightly focused on the band and less on the grand scale, backgrounds, and effects work. Having been to a few of the Skeletour shows in the past year, I remember quite vividly seeing the performance for Rats having this big volcanic vista in the background with projections of the band members highlighting the performance. Unfortunately, much of the song performance is done at stage level heavily focused on the band’s movements, and that large vista looks fuzzy in the background with flashes of bodies moving about on the screen in a way that makes it hard to see what’s going on. Thankfully, most of the sequences, like their performance of Kiss the Go-Goat, is a pitch-perfect melding of the grand visuals and the band’s playing and singing. A few sequences even utilize some horror and filmic influences, like Umbra featuring Brian De Palma-esque splitscreen use to heighten the experience. I loved when Chamdin played with the form of the concert-movie-melding-experience.

My favorite songs of the film were, in no particular order:

• Majesty (featuring the floating pope effect of Papa Pepetua and some nice concert visuals blended in)
• Cirice (Forge donning the iconic Diamond Skull)
• Save Me (spends more visual time focused on the fans, which are almost as fun to watch as the band)
• Umbra (the splitscreen effects elevate the performance)

Ghost: 2 Big to Rig will be a delight for longtime fans of the band, and it’s an easier entry point for potential new fans. Take notice of the “NO PHONES” rule in place for the concert, which elevated my experiences of the live concert and brings a refreshing atmosphere to watching the movie version as well. I won’t lie, though: this movie feels a bit like a eulogy, and it makes me wonder when we’ll be seeing the band again. All the same, it’s great to get that close-up to the band and their physical work on stage, especially the Ghoulettes, who are often stuck in the background of the show; any time they are onscreen is a delight. The sound design is incredible and layered, providing elements and vocal tracks that I never heard during the in-person concert. My biggest problem is wanting more, which is a good problem to have.

3½/5
-Kyle A. Goethe