Rite Here Rite Now (2024)

Two nights at the Kia Forum, zero phones allowed in the crowd, and that one rule turns out to be the secret weapon of Rite Here Rite Now. Every crowd shot is people actually watching, not filming, and the concert footage feels like you scored a ticket. Ghost frontman Tobias Forge stays fully in character, the setlist is stacked, and the band plays it like a big theatrical rock show should be played. The trouble is everything between songs. The film keeps cutting backstage to a scripted storyline from the band’s own made-up history, full of comic bits that only longtime fans will follow, and at 145 minutes those detours add up. The Guardian called the whole thing tame, and the skits are why. Fans scored it high and made it a real event: $4.77 million worldwide for a concert film. A 7.4 because the show rocks and the sketches sag. $9,964 says at your next big show you start scouting the crowd for the perfect reaction shot like you’re the one directing.

What works: The no-phones crowd and the tight close-ups make the concert sections feel live and personal, and the setlist is a fan’s dream.

What doesn’t: The backstage comedy segments interrupt the music too often and will mostly lose anyone who isn’t already a devoted fan.

Who it’s for: Ghost fans first and foremost, plus anyone who loves a big theatrical rock show on a cinema sound system.