Thirty Nights on Film, John Wilson Shoots Harry Styles at the Garden

For eight weeks Madison Square Garden has belonged to one man, three nights a week. It turns out somebody has been filming the whole thing.

Harry Styles is in the last stretch of his 30-show residency at Madison Square Garden, which opened on Wednesday, August 26, and ends on Halloween. On Sunday, Variety reported that the filmmaker John Wilson has been shooting Styles since August for a documentary. Variety's story sits behind a paywall, so the details here come from a Yahoo Entertainment write-up of the report, published the same day.

Wilson is the man behind *How To with John Wilson*, the HBO series he shot and narrated for three seasons from 2020 to 2023. His work is street-level, wry and patient, about as far from a glossy concert film as a camera gets. That is why this one is worth watching for.

The Camera in the Room

According to Variety's two sources, as relayed by Yahoo, the film mixes live performance with personal stories about Styles, his fans and the people who work backstage. Universal Pictures Content Group, Peanut World Pictures and Styles himself are producing, and Universal Pictures Content Group is set to hold worldwide rights.

A theatrical release through Universal is being considered, the report says, but distribution is not settled. There is no premiere date and no streaming home yet. Representatives for Styles, Wilson and Universal had not commented when Variety published.

Fans had already noticed. Vulture reported that concertgoers spotted Wilson with a camera as he followed Styles around the city, and one fan shared a photo of Wilson interviewing her. When Styles played an unreleased song for Liam Payne at the Garden on October 16, we noted that he had been spotted filming around town with Wilson and that nobody had said what they were making. Now someone has.

The timing suits Wilson. His first feature, *The History of Concrete*, picked up four Critics Choice Documentary Awards nominations on October 13, including one for his narration, Yahoo notes. Peanut World Pictures is credited on that film too.

What the Camera Sees

The residency supports *Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.*, Styles' fourth studio album, released in March. CBS New York called the run "an unprecedented 30-show residency" when it was announced, and it is part of the first leg of a seven-city tour. He played 15 sold-out shows at the Garden in 2022. This time New York is his only American stop of the year.

The opening night set the tone. Paolo Ragusa of Consequence, reviewing that first Wednesday, found a heavily reworked set that opened with "Dance No More" and ran through 11 of the album's 12 tracks. He wrote that "the best moments of the show came with higher stakes," and found "The Waiting Game" and "Taste Back" far less dynamic live. Jamie xx opens every night with what Consequence called a career-spanning DJ set.

Andrew Korpan of ClutchPoints caught the October 14 show. He describes a small stage in the middle of a giant pit, ringed by an oval catwalk that Styles uses to move through the crowd. Pieces of sushi stand in as spotlights during "Music for a Sushi Restaurant." A circular light rig drops around the stage for "Season 2 Weight Loss," which Korpan called the coolest visual of the night.

"He's as good as he ever was." Andrew Korpan, ClutchPoints

Korpan's high point was "Kiwi," rebuilt from hard rock into something slower and more sensual, and he found "Coming Up Roses," played at the piano with strings, especially breathtaking. A documentarian could do worse for material.

What to Know Before You Go

Six shows remain on the Garden's calendar, on October 21, 23, 24, 28, 30 and 31, all at 8 p.m. The last two are billed as Harryween. Doors on October 30 open at 7 p.m.

The Garden's listing says costumes are allowed with exceptions. Large costumes and headpieces, full face paint and fake weapons are not permitted. An empty, non-breakable reusable water bottle of up to 32 ounces is allowed. The run sold out long ago, so check the Garden's event page before you trust any resale listing.

Thirty nights is a long time to hold a room. By Halloween, the camera will have seen all of it.