Taylor Swift Shares the Romance Movies that Inspired ‘All Too Well’ Short Film
Taylor Swift has written many songs about first love and heartbreak, but the 10-minute version of “All Too Well” may be her magnum opus. Her short film for “All Too Well,” which she directed, tells a story of romance, heartbreak, and all the ups and downs of a relationship. While Taylor Swift is an expert at writing intriguing stories about relationships, she was inspired by several romance movies, old and new.
Taylor Swift directed ‘All Too Well: The Short Film’
In 2021, Swift released a 10-minute-long version of “All Too Well,” an extended version of the 2012 song from her Red album. Paired with the song is All Too Well: The Short Film, a 15-minute film written and directed by Swift. The short film stars Dylan O’Brien and Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink. The two play a young couple whose complicated relationship ultimately falls apart, showing how Sink’s character deals with the despair of early heartbreak.
The short film received special screenings at the 2022 Tribeca and the Toronto International Film Festivals and had a limited theatrical release in major cities. Swift’s filmmaking has received high praise, and she has won several music video awards for it, including the Video of the Year Award at the VMA’s, becoming the artist to win the award for a self-directed video.
Taylor Swift shares which romance movies inspired ‘All Too Well’ short film
The Midnights singer recently sat down with director Martin McDonagh for Variety’s Directors on Directors series. During the discussion, Taylor Swift talks about several of her favorite romance movies that inspired the love story in All Too Well: The Short Film. A few of her favorites are more recent, while others are older classics.
“This is really recent, but The Souvenir Part 1 & 2 I absolutely loved. They’re beautiful and gorgeous, and they were about somebody making art through heartbreak, and so I absolutely loved that. I loved Marriage Story, and I love a lot of films in the 70s that really, like…I don’t know, like, Kramer Vs. Kramer, for example. Just kind of the dissolution of the belief system that is a relationship is very fascinating to me.”
Swift isn’t sure what she would want to make next
McDonagh, director of The Banshees of Inisherin, asked Swift if she would like to branch out and try other genres like sci-fi or westerns. Swift said she doesn’t plan on doing sci-fi anytime soon, but she would like to move away from stories about heartbreak.
“I couldn’t see myself doing sci-fi at this point in my life,” Swift said. “I don’t think that’s where my strengths would lie. I don’t think I would go headlong into another heartbreak story because it’s just, you know, just did that, it takes a lot out of you.”
People could learn what Swift’s next project is soon as it was announced she would be directing her first feature-length film for Searchlight Pictures. There are no details about the story or when the movie is expected to debut, but it will be based on a screenplay written by Swift.
