I'm writing this review from the perspective of someone who has watched the Simulation Theory world tour live, in a stadium that was twice as big as the arena from the movie. I experienced it live, and I believe the movie translates that experience very, very faithfully.
Here's the problem with the negative reviews: People are getting into this expecting an actual movie (rightfully so, it wasn't marketed very clearly).
Here's what it actually is: A live recording of their concert in O2 London, similar to their recordings of Hullabaloo, Wembley, and the Rome Olympic Stadium before. This one, however, is complemented by scenes that push the musical narrative further, shot separately.
These scenes are NOT standalone but simply an addition to a narrative-based concert. Yes, the live concert itself was very narrative-based, much of the writing and talking you see on screen in the non-musical sections were there in the concert itself, and it would have been nearly impossible to translate that onto the screen if it isn't happening all around you. I believe this is what led to the decision of shooting standalone scenes that complement the concert (all of which, in one way or another, were portrayed in the concert itself on the screen, through dancers, through props, or voice overdubs).
What this film does is that it simply attempts to convey the duality of the narrative and the concert's excitement as accurately as possible while making it equally as entertaining from home. As someone who has both attended it live and watched the home film, I can say that it very accurately does exactly what it was made for. My only grip is the exclusion of some of my favourite live songs they played: Bliss, Micro Cuts, Knights of Cydonia, Hysteria, and Plug in Baby.
