I’ve been a fan of One Direction for about two years. When I discovered them on season seven of X-Factor UK, I was in love with their accents, perfect pitch and humorous personalities. So,of course, when I found out there was a movie being made about them, I flipped and went to see it on opening night.

The movie does not portray them as One Direction, the Huffington Post proclaimed “new Beatles,” but as the individuals Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne and Niall Horan.

The movie was well done, but it was not the best film I have ever seen. The cinematography was amazing, and if I judged film merely by its 3D quality, I would give it a 10/10. The 3D effect made it seem not only like the viewers were actually there in concert, but also like they were personal friends, joining the boys on their journey.

The movie showed a side of the boys most fans have not seen: how they act in front of their families and friends and how they actually feel about their fame. The movie also showed how tiring and high pressure fame can be. Throughout the movie, the boys are constantly shown as sleepy and tired eyed. In one scene, Zayn has to wake up after only 10 minutes of sleep to record a song for One Direction’s upcoming album Midnight Memories.

The main focus of the movie was not the boys themselves, but the fans and band’s gratitude to their supporters. It often depicts the boys meeting and interacting with fans, even pulling pranks on them and surprising them.

During the ending credits, Liam Payne pops out from under the stage and surprises his “biggest” fan, greeting and hugging her. In another scene, Niall disguises himself as a security guard and surprises a fan, taking her backstage to meet the other boys.

Overall, this movie attempts to make this ‘clean cut’ boy band more presentable to a larger audience, and it tries to show that the boys are somewhat normal people. Even if viewers are not a fan of One Direction, they should watch the film, and they probably won’t be able to question the boys’ genuinity.

I give One Direction’s This is Us an 8/10. While the movie depicted some of the band’s personal moments, I feel that it was not as groundbreaking and personal as it could have been and as some documentaries are. This documentary only showed these boys in a good light, like they were perfect, and it generally avoids showing their normal day-to-day lives. At times, the scenes seemed artificial, like they were staged.

Overall, the movie satisfies a fangirl’s expectations while also catering to a wider audience.