Just Say: I Don’t Believe It
A new hour-long “single-take” special featuring Ed Sheeran, titled One Shot with Ed Sheeran, started streaming on Netflix today. The premise involves musicians wandering the streets of New York City while performing. But honestly? I feel a bit misled about the authenticity of it all.
This special is directed by Philip Barantini, who has earned an Emmy Award and is also noted for the Netflix series puberty, known for its one-shot episodes. According to Director of Photography Matthew Lewis, those episodes managed to avoid hidden cuts or splices. That’s one thing when it comes to scripted shows with hired actors, but pulling that off in a city teeming with people? That’s a whole different challenge. I mean, are they really just filming randomly? With the security concerns of a celebrity? The whole situation feels suspect to me.
Some of the supposedly spontaneous interactions seem, well, kind of staged. For instance, early on, Sheeran hails a yellow cab. The driver—a sharply dressed young man—doesn’t react to the camera crew at all and cheerfully allows Sheeran to sing in the back. Has this driver ever picked up a fare in New York? Because typically, that’s not how it goes!
Later, there’s an even stranger moment when Sheeran encounters musician Camila Cabello, casually “driving” her SUV. She’s supposed to take him to another location, but her driving looks a lot less convincing than what you might see in “Carpool Karaoke.” Seriously, is it possible she doesn’t really know how to drive? These moments start to raise doubts about the film’s claim of being a single continuous take.
It’s hard to ignore that there are places where sneaky cuts could’ve happened. Like, when the camera pans up to the trees, then back down just a moment later to show Sheeran in a new area of the High Line park. Or when it transitions seamlessly from handheld to drone footage while showing him on a hotel rooftop. And let’s not forget the subway scene—how would they manage to get permission from all those unsuspecting passengers? The logistics seem impossible.
In fact, that subway scene is the only one that feels genuinely believable. It’s the first time we see Sheeran’s security team in action. I suspect they might have had someone tracking him all day, which could’ve sold the one-shot angle a bit better. If only there were more moments like this in the film, and if they had been more transparent about the filming process. Clearly, careful planning was involved, even if there were hidden cuts.
Look, maybe I’m just being cynical. It’s possible that One Shot with Ed Sheeran is genuinely one continuous shot without any editing tricks. But honestly, it feels like there’s some deception happening. Maybe the taxi driver was an actor hired for the scene, or perhaps Cabello was simply waiting for Sheeran outside a venue. I can’t help but wonder—if that’s the case, then let’s just be real about it and not label it as a one-shot experience.
