Neither stan nor hater am I, but on the topic of Ed Sheeran I’ll admit I do not spend much time thinking about him. In fact, up until 10 seconds ago, I thought his name was Ed Sheehan. I can’t recall the titles of any of his songs, but certainly I know many, especially the one that kinda sounds like “No Scrubs.”
However! Now that I’ve watched, with unmitigated glee, the new Netflix special One Shot with Ed Sheeran, I feel confident in declaring him to be a righteous man, a great wellspring of positivity who brings nothing but warmth and good into the world. Moreover, he will gladly pose for a selfie should you ever find him strutting down your street while strumming his guitar.
One Shot, which is now on Netflix, is a gimmick project, but what a gimmick. We open over West 34th St. in New York City, just across from a Five Guys where I once had so many free peanuts I almost threw up. A drone zooms us into Hammerstein Ballroom where we see Ed Sheeran alone on stage, doing a sound check. It’s just him and his guitar and his pre-recorded samples he manipulates with his feet. Once the levels are set he walks off stage and out the back door. He’s got an hour to kill before the show, which is not how these things work if you wanna sell merch, but one must suspend disbelief a little to enjoy this thing.
Ed hops in a cab, chats up the driver, starts singing a song, then jumps out at the High Line. Ed has explained (and continues to narrate to no one) that he’s been contacted by a fan who is about to propose to his fiancée. All of this is done without any visible editing, for it is all ONE SHOT.
Ed gets there just in time to serenade the couple with “Perfect” and then lead them around a corner where all their friends and family are ready with a toast. A bandstand is there, Ed jumps up to do another number, and then he’s off again to his next adventure.
Obviously this is all set up in advance, but you can’t prep the entire city for your troubadour’s march through town. Some of the reactions from the tourists and locals out on New York’s sidewalks feel pretty legit. Part of me wants the detailed “how they made it” documentary, but I think it is worth tamping down that curiosity to just enjoy the fun.
And it is a lot of fun to see Sheeran romp around Hell’s Kitchen and remark on what a nice little neighborhood it is before shaking hands with folks at an outdoor cafe. Then Ed Sheeran goes up to the top of a double-decker bus, then he’s running into an elevator to make an appearance at a rooftop party. We’re right with him thanks to drones and fancy hand-held camera work.
Good cheer follows Sheeran wherever he goes as he’s saluted by fans (“I saw you in Romania last year!”) and well-wishers. He gets accosted by no weirdos, but maybe that’s because before anyone gets too close he shouts “Who’d like a song?” then jumps into another one. One Shot is primarily a concert film, just out and about.
The highlights include a visit to an Irish pub where he jams with his mates in Beoga (and also chugs a quick Guinness) and a cross-cultural collab with Red Baraat near the platform of the downtown 50th St E train. There’s also a moment where he just happens to bump into Camila Cabello who gives him a lift in her minivan back across town to make it to the gig in time. His last stop is a junky tourist shop to buy a cheap hat, which he then flings into the crowd as he returns in triumph to a now full capacity Hammerstein Ballroom.
Is One Shot really one shot? I dunno, it’s possible if I went all Jessica Fletcher on this I’d find some digital stitching. There is a moment (on the double-decker bus) when midday traffic forces Ed to “hit fast-forward,” but he does remark “See, no cuts!” The project is directed by Adolescence‘s Philip Barantini and even if there are some tricks, this is still a remarkable bit of choreographic filmmaking.
But the gimmick isn’t the star — the star is the star. Spending an hour with Ed Sheeran as he perambulates New York City, shaking hands and giving hugs, is a panacea for the soul. He exudes kindness and care. (He gives a nice little shout out to his wife and kids when appropriate.) I say all this as someone who had never intentionally pressed play on any of his songs. Fans, of which there are many, are probably going to lose their minds. Perhaps once I sit with this film a little longer, I will officially join their ranks.
