Jake Gyllenhaal, you better hide. Taylor Swift yet again shook the Internet with the release of the “All Too Well” short film yesterday, along with the re-release of her album Red. Both written and directed by the singer, the film recruited well-known actors Dylan O’Brien (everyone’s 2014 crush) and Sadie Sink (who we all know and love from Stranger Things), to depict one of Swift’s most interesting relationships during her younger years.
Growing up, I was never a big Taylor Swift fan, but I have to say, over the past few years, she has really won me over. The way she is able lyrically and visually turn her music into a form of beautiful artistic expression is something that I am so fascinated by. Taylor, I’m sorry I’ve been sleeping on you for so long.
The film features the new 10-minute version of the song over some incredible performances by the two actors, showcasing a very complicated relationship and the struggles of unrequited love. Taylor has come out to mention that there are a great amount easter eggs within her work, so let’s break down some of the easter eggs from the film:
Dylan’s appearance
O’Brien was sporting a full beard and beanie combo during parts of the film. This is meant to highlight the similarities to Gyllenhaal during the time he dated Swift.
The age difference
At first, many people were concerned by the choice of actors for the film, as Sadie Sink is 19 and Dylan O’Brien is 30. However, there is a specific reason why these actors were chosen, as their age gap is similar to the one when Jake and Taylor dated in 2010 (Jake being 29 and Taylor being 20).
The fall backdrop
There was a scene in the film where the two characters are in the woods with a scenic fall backdrop. This is referencing the pictures that were taken of the couple in 2010 in NYC.
The red scarf
Probably one of the biggest easter eggs in the film, the concept of a red scarf, was mentioned in the song and multiple times during the film. This is referring to the scarf that “her”, in this case Taylor, left at his sister’s house. At the end of the film, the older version of the male character is seen to be still wearing it. Gyllenhaal has been accused by fans of wearing Swift’s scarf for years following their split.
Even if you are not a big Taylor Swift fan, this film is a must watch. The film can be found on YouTube on Swift’s official channel.