Taylor Swift released “All Too Well: The Short Film” and made every ‘Swifties’ heart shatter. The film was written and directed by Taylor Swift, starring Sadie Sink, Dylan O’Brien, and Taylor Swift. The romance drama film incorporates Swift’s new song, “All Too Well”, from her newest re-recorded album, “Red(Taylor’s Version)”.

Since the short film’s release (November 12th) social media has been buzzing with news, speculations, and non-stop support for Swift from her fans. When all this reached me, I knew I had to watch it and see what it was all about. 

The age gap between the actors, Sink and O’Brien, was a smart move on Swift’s part. She chose two very talented actors but the age difference between them was an important piece of the story Swift was trying to tell. O’Brien, who is 30, and Sink, who is 19. The decade between them makes processing what’s happening on screen much more impactful. It can make your stomach drop just a little bit, and Swift’s typical way of reaching into people, has definitely made its way into this film.

Sadie Sink is a young actress, the past couple years her career has grown and her acting has as well. Her performance in “All Too Well: The Short Film” was stunning. Having to deal with someone older who is acting aggressive is intimidating, especially with people as successful as O’Brien and Swift. Sink portrayed this character in a way that made people feel a lot of things. Including anger, disgust, concern, sadness, anxiety, etc. The many posts on the internet from the fans of O’Brien, Sink, and Swift have made it clear; “All Too Well: The Short Film” hits you where it hurts.

This film has been impactful for people who have been in or have witnessed abusive relationships. Gaslighting and manipulation were clearly shown in this film. O’Brien’s character being the one who’s displaying the emotional abuse. The actors made it believable, it seemed real and intense for viewers. Later on it shows what kind of hold he had on her, how it affected her and how it took time for her to heal. At the end, it shows Swift at a book reading for her own book, and out the window is O’Brien’s character. This was a surprise and enraged some fans. It hinted that through his awful actions, he might have cared just a little bit. Even 13 years later.

I enjoyed “All Too Well: The Short Film” a lot. It tugged at my emotions and told a clear story. It was well written and executed gracefully. My personal rating of 1-5, is 5. It’s gorgeous and harsh all at the same time. For an audience rating, it’s a PG-13 film due to the language used and the story it’s telling, which could be inappropriate for younger audiences.