10 Showgirl Movies to Watch Before Taylor Swift's The Life Of A Showgirl Album

Taylor Swift’s The Life Of A Showgirl is almost here, and excitement has skyrocketed after the announcement of a secret movie release. There hasn’t been much information on the event yet, but the surprise film will likely be released the weekend of October 3rd, when Swift’s album drops

There’s a chance the recently engaged pop princess could partner with AMC again for the release after the massive success of The Eras Tour film. However, nothing’s been confirmed at the time of this writing. If you’re as excited as every other Swiftie about the album and movie announcement, here are the very best selection of The Life Of A Showgirl-inspired films to hold you over.

Break out the boas and buttered popcorn: the movie-binge of your showgirl dreams is here.

Gold Diggers Of 1933

Gold Diggers of 1933, released the same year as its title, follows a group of Broadway performers whose show is in danger of cancellation due to a lack of funding. While the film gives a behind-the-scenes look at the chaos going on offstage, the movie is especially a good fit for Swift’s new era because of its visuals.

The Life Of A Showgirl‘s aesthetic and album photoshoot mimics the vaudeville style of performers like those in Gold Diggers of 1933. While the film is in black and white, it still emanates the same glitz and glamour that Swift’s new album does.

The film is especially similar to the pop star’s “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart” Eras Tour Performance. Understandably, as the demanding tour is what inspired The Life Of A Showgirl.

Moulin Rouge!

Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film Moulin Rouge! is also the perfect companion film for The Life Of A Showgirl. Along with its extravagant fashion that matches Swift’s aesthetic, the film tells the forbidden love story of a man and an ill performer.

While Swift’s twelfth studio album will certainly tell the off-stage story of the Eras Tour, it’s likely she’ll also sing about her boyfriend, Travis Kelce. On The Tortured Poets Department, Swift penned “So High School” about Kelce, and it seems TLOASG track “Actually Romantic” could be about him, too.

While Swift and Kelce proudly support each other, they do have to deal with some of the same disapproval as Moulin Rouge! characters Satine and Christian. Luhrmann’s film is perfect for fans who are excited about the album’s visual elements and Swift’s romantic storytelling.

The Last Showgirl

The Last Showgirl saw Pamela Anderson’s return to the spotlight with Golden Globe and SAG nominations for her role as Shelly Gardner. What makes the film especially appropriate, aside from the costume design, is how the plot relates to Swift’s career. The film deals with ageism, which is a topic the pop star has spoken about a lot.

In her 2020 documentary, Miss Americana, she discusses reaching the end of her 20s and fearing she won’t achieve the same level of success she did when she was younger. She proved everyone who thought pop stars have to die out after their 20s wrong, as she’s seen her biggest successes in her 30s.

However, Swift did not foresee this because of how many other women had been tossed aside as they aged. The Last Showgirl deals with Shelly being pushed aside as a Las Vegas performer as younger girls and new shows take over the city.

Jamie Lee Curtis’ character Annette is dealing with the same ageism that Shelly is. The film is certainly on par with the themes Swift has sung about and may revisit again with The Life Of A Showgirl.

Showgirls

Gina Gershon and Elizabeth Berkley hold hands.

Like Swift’s album, Showgirls reveals the downside of chasing a dream. Main character Nomi will do whatever it takes to be a Las Vegas showgirl, but even as her dream is coming true, there are a lot of dark things going on behind the scenes.

It’s no secret that celebrities have dealt with a lot in Hollywood that the public is not aware of. Swift has sung several times about the perils of fame, especially on tracks like “The Lucky One” and “Nothing New.”

As Swift said, The Life Of A Showgirl is not about what happens on stage, but what happens off stage. While Showgirls is very raunchy, it’s not far off from what Swift is tackling with her new album.

Chicago

In one of the alternative covers for The Life Of A Showgirl, Swift is sitting in a green-lit room wearing a black bob wig. Swift looks remarkably similar to Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelly in Chicago. The film is set in the 1920s, the height of the vaudeville and flapper era, and opens with the number “All That Jazz.”

Velma embodies the showgirl image with her performance, before being arrested for murdering her husband and sister. However, another number that perfectly encapsulates The Life Of A Showgirl comes at the end of the film.

Velma teams up with fellow freed killer, Roxie Hart, to sing “Nowadays/Hot Honey Rag,” another perfect showgirl performance. The offstage circumstances of Chicago are a lot more murderous than Swift’s offstage life. However, it’s still a great film to showcase the dark side of being in the spotlight.

Burlesque

Cher and Christina Aguilera captivated audiences in 2010 with Burlesque. The campy film follows Aguilera’s character Ali, following her dreams of being a dancer. The film is a lot more upbeat and positive than some of the other showgirl films on the list, though the characters certainly have their ups and downs.

As loyal Swifties know, Taylor Swift has worked tirelessly to achieve her dreams since she was a kid. Swift and Ali have a lot in common as they’ll stop at nothing to bring their desires to fruition. Burlesque is perfect for fans who are especially interested in the glamorous side of Swift’s career and upcoming album art.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

The iconic Marilyn Monroe-led film, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, also follows the love story of a showgirl. The famous song “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” exemplifies the glitz and glamour of Swift’s Eras Tour. However, behind the scenes, Monroe’s character Lorelei is focused on getting to marry the man she loves, despite his father’s disapproval.

Since her “Love Story” days, Swift has been singing about the disapproval of some of her relationships. The Tortured Poets Department‘s “But Daddy I Love Him” was like the Fearless track’s sister song. Swift is still facing backlash for her relationship with Travis Kelce.

However, like Lorelei and her fiancé Gus Esmond Jr, they aren’t letting it affect their love for each other. This might be a topic Swift touches upon again on The Life Of A Showgirl, but if not, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is still as ritzy as Swift’s album photoshoot.

Ziegfeld Follies

Ziegfeld Follies is a variety show-style film telling the real-life story of the Ziegfeld Follies, a series of theater acts from 1907 through 1931. A specific moment from the show has been circling social media as it resembles one of Swift’s The Life Of A Showgirl album art photos.

The scene shows Lucille Ball in a long pink gown and a pink feathery headpiece. The photo of Swift shows her in a dressing room, wearing a pink feathery outfit that looks like it could have been borrowed from the film.

Swift was likely studying films like Ziegfeld Follies when she was planning her album photoshoot, so it’s no surprise the photos look similar. Since the film is a series of performances, it’s great for anyone missing the Eras Tour, especially the “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart” performance, or for fans of Swift’s 2022 “Bejeweled” music video.

Cabaret

Swift’s black bob look in a few of The Life Of A Showgirl‘s photos resembles another character besides Velma Kelly. The popstar is also channeling Liza Minelli in Cabaret. The iconic performer had a short black haircut throughout the film.

Not that Swift will be tackling 1930s Germany on her new album, but Cabaret is one of the most famous showgirl musicals ever made. It’s not a stretch to think Swift may have been modeling her look after Minelli’s iconic style in the 1972 film.

Walking Down Broadway

Walking Down Broadway is a 1938 film that follows a group of showgirls reuniting one year after their final performance. As they share what they’ve been up to since the show ended, they unveil some of the unfortunate circumstances in their lives.

It’s the perfect film for Swifties because, like the women in the film, Swift will have been off her Eras Tour for around a year by the time The Life Of A Showgirl releases. While the album is about the Eras Tour, behind-the-scenes, it’s also a life catch-up since fans last heard from her on TTPD.

As she said in her New Heights podcast appearance, not all of it is glamorous. Still, despite the behind-the-scenes, Taylor Swift created an iconic, glamorous album shoot, making her life look just like the movies.