Critic Reviews

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. .... Spending an hour with Ed Sheeran as he perambulates New York City, shaking hands and giving hugs, is a panacea for the soul.

At one hour and one minute, “One Shot With Ed Sheeran” is both a novelty and a mini-immersion in its star’s music, which is fairly sui generis.

A big component of his celebrity is his general niceness, and as the singer ambles around midtown, it’s all as amiable as his style of performance typically is. What mild pressure One Shot exerts on the viewer is through its technical maneuvering, but neither Sheeran nor his crew seem to care about “proving it.” It’s just a mechanism to move the singer’s nice guy energy into multiple spaces, and sure, maybe sell a few records along the way.

Maybe you have to be a Sheeran fan to really appreciate it, but this is another single-take bravura special from film-maker Philip Barantini (who directed Netflix's searing single-take drama Adolescence) and his director of photography Nyk Allen.

As a companion piece to Sheeran’s catchy new album, Barantini’s latest undertaking is perfectly watchable.