Taylor Swift's All Too Well Short Film Has Higher Letterboxd Ratings Than Parasite
If you haven't been online in the past four days, then you may have missed the big news: musical icon Taylor Swift just added director to her long list of accolades. Along with a 30 song album, Swift dropped "All Too Well," a short film based on the 10-minute version of her famous song, released back in 2012. As you may know, this here film website doesn't usually follow the goings-on of pop stars, but Swift has made herself pretty damn impossible to ignore, given the absolute insanity taking over social media right now. In fact, her power is no longer limited to the typical venues — like Twitter and Tumblr — the Swifties are coming for our beloved film nerd platform!
As a short film rather than a music video, "All Too Well" has earned itself a Letterboxd entry, meaning reviews and ratings galore. Its explosive weekend performance on the platform briefly snagged the number-one-rated spot on Letterboxd, displacing "Parasite" and "Radiohead: In Rainbows – From the Basement." With a 4.65 star average at the time, the film has since dropped to 4.5, still thriving but considerably lower on the overall site ranking. Rest easy, film nerds: "Parasite" is still sitting pretty as one of the highest-rated films on the site.
As for "All Too Well," the popularity of the film has given all other Swift-related movies a big popularity boost: "Taylor Swift: Speak Now World Tour Live" now sits at 4.6 stars, with "Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions" and "Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour" at 4.5. Since Letterboxd is indeed the official, legally binding, absolute consensus on movies, Taylor Swift officially reigns supreme over the cinematic canon. Thems the rules, folks.
Taylor Swift, Queen of Cinema
"All Too Well" stars Sadie Sink ("Stranger Things") and Dylan O'Brien ("Teen Wolf") as a troubled couple navigating a whirlwind romance that inevitably ends in heartbreak. The ten-minute version of the song plays throughout, silenced for an intense dialogue sequence between the pair. Fans of Swift know "All Too Well" as one of her most popular songs to date, making it a fitting choice for her foray into film. Swift worked on the film as both director and writer, marking the first time she's helmed a short film, but not her first time directing overall.
Taylor Swift has a long history of directing: she's been co-directing her music videos for over a decade now, starting with "Mine" in 2010 to "Me!" in 2019. She made her solo directorial debut with her video for "The Man" in 2020, and also directed and produced the feature concert film "Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions." So it seems that the 11-time Grammy winner has conquered the music world and is now coming for film. Might this be the time for an Oscar?
All things considered, it's not outside of the realm of possibility. "All Too Well" had its premiere at the AMC Lincoln Center in New York on November 12 and is now continuing its limited release at the theater. Given the runtime and theatrical release, the film does qualify for the live-action short category at the Academy Awards. Don't be surprised if the Taylor Swift chatter picks up around nomination time.
Will she actually go for it? Who knows. The important thing is, I get to write about Taylor Swift and it's totally justified because, ya know, it's film-related! "All Too Well" even has an easter egg that fans of "Stranger Things" will appreciate. Along with starring Sadie Sink in the lead, none other than "Stranger Things" director and executive producer, Shawn Levy makes a guest appearance.
So yeah, this happened https://t.co/JHlpgfSsCN
— Shawn Levy (@ShawnLevyDirect) November 13, 2021
Levy plays Sink's father in the film, and his daughters also appear as friends of the main character. The cinematic lore goes deep! If you feel the need to delve in, you can watch "All Too Well: The Short Film" below.