Here is my review of Taylor Swifts “All too well: The short film”
In all honesty I may have some bias when reviewing this short, being a Taylor Swift fan and the fact it stars one of my favourite actors Dylan O’brien. The short is telling the story of an experience Taylor Swift had herself when dating an actor much older than she when she was just 21. Actress Sadie Sink takes on the role of Taylor in the film. Sink is not short of brilliant in the role but it was also genius of Swift to cast her. Sink is well known for playing a middle schooler in the popular show “Stranger things”. Audiences associate her with youth and innocence, so to see her passionately kissing someone over 10 years her senior is jarring. The short is hard to watch and yet you can’t look away.
Dylan O’brien takes on the role of the older, self-obsessed boyfriend. The kitchen scene is one of my favourites in the short. Sink and O’brien argue while she cleans dishes. Once she is finished with one, he comes and adds another to the pile just like he continues to add to their argument. When Sink says he dropped her hand at the dinner table he responds with “i don’t even remember”. This is a key moment; the song repeats the line “I remember it all too well” consistently and it becomes clear that certain scenes within the short are direct links to the song lyrics and her personal experiences. Swifts boyfriend at the time clearly not caring enough to remember the things he did to hurt her.
The scarf mentioned at the beginning of the film is also cleverly used throughout and in the very final scene. The lyrics read “and you keep my old scarf from that very first week ‘cus it reminds you of innocence and it smells like me” Swift alludes to the idea that the scarf could represent her virginity and does this visually within the film using a lot of intimate close-up shots of the actors embracing.
One of the satisfying things about the film is the aesthetic, it is very obviously set in autumn with the use of earth tones in the characters clothes and the location choices. There is almost a nostalgic feeling that comes with this, leaves falling and things naturally coming to end to kickstart a new beginning.
The acting within the film is extremely honest and heartfelt. Sink displays the very deep and complex emotions of heartbreak in such a short space of time and makes you feel less alone in your own experiences. I related more to the short than I thought I would; I’ve never been in a relationship with an age gap (which initially feels like the main point of the film) but I think a lot of people have been abandoned unexpectedly and felt the experience meant much more to them than it did the other person, Swift begging the question if they also remember it all too well.
The film is calculated and clever, visuals interlacing with lyrics and easter eggs throughout linking to other songs and albums. Although these aren’t something every single viewer will pick up, Swift leaves enough obvious links for people who are not big fans to pick up on and see how this film is a direct visual depiction of the song “All too well”. It also must be recognised that she wrote and directed the film herself, created an amazing piece of work for her directorial debut.
In my opinion I would give the film a 4/5 star rating.
Here’s where you can watch it yourself: