Taylor Swift released a short film/music video for her fan favourite 10 minute version of “All too Well”. The movie stars young Sadie Sink ( a presumably younger version of the singer),  Dylan O’Brian (love interest of the character) and Taylor Swift, who herself makes a cameo at the end of the video. Fans are convinced that this short film is also a heart-wrenching memoir for young Taylor’s troubled relationship with a very famous actor who has surely decided that this would be a good weekend for a social media break. 

The film is broken up into 7 chapters, the ‘chapters’ of the character’s relationships. The video ends up being almost 15 minutes long thanks to the extended argumentative dialogue sequence  that highlights the actors' talents and their chemistry together. I can only praise the dialogue since it feels raw, emotional and real. Not only does it show how the male character manipulates and gaslights the young woman, it is filmed and acted out in such a memorable and realistic way that is sure to bring back painful memories to millions of viewers. It is a big contrast to the previous beautiful and youthful cinematography of the character’s blossoming relationship, the tones and hues of the shots perfectly complementing the aesthetic of the song. 

The short also included visual references to lyrical motives that date back to the 2012 version of the song, like the red scarf that Sink’s character leaves at the very beginning of the film and O'Brien's character wears during the film’s climactic ending. Furthermore it included fresh details from the updated version of the song when the protagonist is stood up at her 21st Birthday Party (a real life incident that Taylor mentions in another song, “The Moment I Knew”).  Addressing her audience during the premier in New York, Swift said that the support she received after releasing the song was ‘the most important thing about this particular project.” 

For the finale, Swift appears with red hair that is perfectly matching the younger version of herself (Sink’s character), ending with nostalgic shots, reminding the audience of the failed relationship. Overall, the perfect balance of inaudible moments and the midway cut for the audible argument  gives the short film an unforgettable effect on the audience. The cinematography is captivating and the raw talent of the actors makes this short film like no other. After watching the film, the way you hear the song will change forever.