twenty øne piløts: More Than We Ever Imagined Review

Words By Kayla Harper 

Photos by Kaitie Harper

It’s not until they’re sitting in the nosebleeds staring at their own stage from the opposite end of Estadio GNP Seguros that Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun finally have a break in their busy schedule.  A moment to acknowledge the early days when 10 people showing up to their show was all they could hope for and how far they’ve come to now be preparing for their own stadium show.  The currently empty stadium would later be filled with 65000 fans, decked out in red and yellow duct tape, clancy stoles and beanies, bandito green, and black paint – ensembles inspired by the characters Clancy, Nico (Blurryface) and Torchbearer from the intricate storyline woven throughout twenty øne piløts’ music.

Embarking on the Clancy World Tour in support of their album, Clancy, this show in Mexico City is the biggest of their career to date and the entire thing was captured and turned into the concert film: More Than We Ever Imagined which premiers in theaters February 26, 2026.

We had the privilege of attending the Clancy World Tour in Toronto in 2024 (read about it here) and although there were some variations in the show by the time the boys played that same tour in Mexico, it truly felt like we were reliving that experience seeing it on the big screen at an early IMAX screening on February 25.

Directed by Mark C. Eshleman –who has been a close friend of Joseph and Dun, the videographer and creative director behind most of their projects since their debut– More Than We Ever Imagined strategically blends the explosive energy of the show with vulnerable and intimate backstage moments in a way that doesn’t interrupt or hinder the escalation of the concert, but actually enhances the experience.

The backstage moments offer a perspective fans rarely see, which is the work that goes into preparing for a show of this scale. These quiet breaks in the loud electrifying set allow viewers to appreciate the show even more after witnessing the attention to detail that goes into every part of it – wardrobe, lighting, stage blocking, set design, setlist, backing tracks – while the boys are backstage meticulously refining the backing tracks, Joseph discloses that he spent more time on the backing tracks for this tour than he did on the album, Clancy. It’s clear that the boys and crew prioritize the fans’ experience over all else when it comes to planning these shows.

In terms of the actual concert footage, it immerses viewers in all aspects of the experience with front-row  and even on-stage views of Joseph and Dun performing, to wide shots of the crowd, it captures the atmosphere of a twenty øne piløts show in a chaotic, but fun way. Having been to four twenty øne piløts shows we can confidently say it truly reflects what it’s like to actually be in the crowd.

It’s impressive to see how two people can put on such a complex sonic and visual spectacle and the talents the duo possess are stunningly showcased in this film.  Despite Joseph referring to himself as the lead singer, and Dun the drummer, they are both much more than this performing various roles throughout the show to keep things moving.  Joseph is the lead vocalist, but also plays piano, bass, ukulele, synths, drums and other percussion mediums throughout the show, sometimes even multiple within the same song. Dun does the majority of the percussion and drumming, also contributing backing vocals and keys.

There is no such thing as a dull moment at a twenty øne piløts show, you’re never wondering when it’s going to be over or why it’s dragging, you simply lose sense of time in the sonic and visual explosion, their shows are an electrifyingly colourful soundscape riding the waves of every emotion in the present moment.  The boys make an effort to play in every part of the venue and make the fans a part of the show. While many songs from the original setlist we saw in Toronto were swapped out and changed for the Mexico show, the setlist the boys conjured up for the Clancy tour is no exception featuring hits and deep-cuts from their debut album all the way up to their most recent single (at the time) “The Line” (2024).

In compliance with the theaters time restrictions, some additional songs were cut to keep the film under two hours including “Vignette”, “The Judge”, “Cut My Lip”, “The Craving (Jenna’s Version)”, “Backslide” and “My Blood”.  Of course we would love to see a version of the film that includes all of the songs, but despite this the cuts were not overly disappointing as to hinder the experience.  The transitions between songs were smooth and intentional; any regular viewer who didn’t know the setlist going in wouldn’t have noticed anything was missing.

Whether you’re a fan of the Ohio-duo or not, Twenty One Pilots: More Than We Ever Imagined, is exactly that: more than we ever imagined and will exceed the expectations of any viewer.