Director: Taylor Swift

Release Date: Nov. 12, 2021

Starring: Sadie Sink, Dylan O’Brien and Taylor Swift

Our Rating: A+

Fans and critics alike are raving about the new 15 minute short film put out by Taylor Swift for her revamp of her famous song “All Too Well.” With the release of her re-recorded RED album on Nov. 12, Swift graced her fans with new additions to her previously well-received songs. In this short film, she tells the story of a toxic relationship in which the main character struggles through the cyclical patterns of love and heartbreak. In the relationship, Sink’s character is significantly younger than her significant other, creating an uncomfortable power dynamic portrayed throughout the film.

“This song was one of my favorites from the original album and somehow she made it an even better experience by adding new lyrics and incorporating this beautiful short film,” sophomore Silvia Hernandez said.

Sadie Sink takes on the role of playing a young adult in a difficult relationship and Dylan O’Brien plays the character of the older ex-boyfriend reportedly inspired by Jake Gyllenhaal, a former boyfriend of Swift in early 2010 when she was freshly 20 and he was 29. This speculation sparked conversation on the couple’s past romance and its details, with the timeline coincidentally aligning similarly to that of the short film.

From the chemistry between the actors to the hard-hitting raw emotion, the performance given by the actors is phenomenal. In one of the scenes of the short film O’Brien’s character gets into an argument with Sink’s character when she expresses feeling hurt over him dropping her hand during a dinner with friends. During the altercation, he uses several tell-tale manipulation tactics before eventually coaxing her to calm down. These signs of manipulation really struck fans and even made them feel for both of them, which truly shows the talent of the actors.

“I listen to a couple Taylor Swift songs here and there but this 10 minute version with the video really blew me out of the water,” junior Jazzmin Chavez said.

The production put into this short film is out of this world: the cinematography is beautifully executed and coordinates perfectly with the storyline, truly piecing together the additional details added to the 10 minute version. The warm tones of the video create an atmosphere similar to those of fall, which fans connected to the time her and Gyllenhaal’s relationship unfolded.

Swift is known for her creative and relatable lyricism in her songs and it is no different this time around. The new additions to the song include references to some of her older songs like “champagne problems” in which she connects dropping someone’s hand as signifier of the beginning of the end of a relationship. Little connections like these are what make Swift’s talent really shine in the short film, not only as an artist but as a producer as well.