Taylor Swift [1] is known for hiding Easter eggs in her music videos, but she rarely weighs in on what they actually mean. However, she made a major exception during the June 11 screening of "All Too Well: The Short Film" [2] at the Tribeca Festival. During a 90-minute talk with "20th Century Woman" director Mike Mills, she spilled secrets about her short film, including why that red typewriter is so important.
The 10-minute extended version of the classic track off Swift's "Red" album [3] was nearly a decade in the making, and the response to it has left the singer emboldened to try her hand at directing more in the future. The Grammy winner revealed to Mills that she has officially been bitten by the directing bug, and she wouldn't be opposed to helming a feature film one day. "It would be so fantastic to write and direct something . . . a feature," she said, as reported by Variety [4]. "I don't see it being bigger, in terms of scale. I loved making a film that was so intimate."
For now, she's just excited by the enthusiastic response her "All Too Well" short film has received. But while she did dish on a few of the film's Easter eggs, she still won't confirm speculation that the song is about her relationship with actor Jake Gyllenhaal [5]. Instead, she said the film is simply the story of a young woman who finds herself caught up in a romance she's not quite ready for.
"I wanted to make a film about an effervescent, curious young woman who ends up completely out of her depth," Swift explained. "You know when you're walking into the ocean? It's so fun, the idea of going out so far your feet don't touch the ground. But you can get swept away."
Swift was joined on stage by the film's stars, Dylan O'Brien and Sadie Sink, who had a few ideas of their own about the film's meaning. Read on for all of the Easter eggs the "All Too Well" singer confirmed — as well as a few she's leaving to the imagination of her passionate fan base.
— Additional reporting by Sabienna Bowman.
Taylor Swift's Confirmed "All Too Well" Easter Eggs
While Swift wouldn't confirm that "All Too Well" is about her former relationship with Gyllenhaal, she did open up about her thought process while writing and directing the short film. From the significance of Sink's character's red typewriter to the importance of making O'Brien's character likable, read on for all of the details the multihyphenate pop star revealed at the Tribeca Festival.
The Pablo Neruda Quote
Right from the start of the video, Swift hints that Sink's character is a writer — just like she is in real life. "It's one of the narrative devices I loved sprinkling through the short film," Swift said, according to Variety. "It's teased from the very beginning; the short is preceded by a literary quote from Pablo Neruda: 'Love is so short, forgetting is so long.'"
"Are You For Real?"
In the video, Sink says to O'Brien's character, "Are you for real? I feel like I made you up.'" According to Swift, this was another sign that the man would one day inspire Sink's character to write a book. "She foreshadows the fact that she will one day write a book and fictionalize his character in a novel," Swift said of the scene.
The Title Cards
The short film is divided into different chapters depicting different eras of this whirlwind romance, foreshadowing the last chapter 13 years down the road where our protagonist, now all grown up, launches an autobiographical book in a room filled with fans. It turns out, each one of those title cards represents a different chapter in the book that Sink's character eventually writes.
The Red Typewriter
As reported by Variety, Swift revealed that the red typewriter is a gift from O'Brien's character to Sink's character — which means he inspires her to become a writer in more ways than one. "There's this red typewriter," the singer said. "We meet [O'Brien's character] for the first time; we pan across a red typewriter. Later on, we see her typing on that typewriter. We assume he gave it to her: she complimented it and he gave it to her. He's taken a lot from her in the course of this [song], but he's also given her something: this dream and hope of being a writer. This experience is what galvanized her life and career."
The Ending
According to Swift, both characters are protagonists in the film, which is why it was so important for her to have O'Brien's character return 13 years later to watch Sink's character at the book signing. "I wanted us to wonder: Was he just seeing if she was OK? Was he about to walk in but leaving thinking, 'It's time to leave well enough alone. I've put her through enough?'"
O'Brien added that Swift was passionate about not making his character a one-dimensional villain but rather a complex character in his own right. "I'll never forget — you said, 'We need this guy to be likable even though he's going to execute some really unlikable things,'" O'Brien said to Swift. "It's such a nuanced perspective Taylor has. It's not black and white. He's not a monster. He's just a narcissistic, egomaniacal child."
"All Too Well" Short Film Fan Theories
Even though Swift has confirmed a few of the Easter eggs hidden throughout the short film, she has also left it up to the fans to dissect the film for further clues. Read on for even more "All Too Well" theories.
Swift’s Infamous Red Scarf
One of the opening scenes of the film shows a wide-eyed Sink (presumably portraying a younger version of Swift) entering her partner's house and placing her red-colored scarf on the stair railing as Swift fittingly sings, "And I left my scarf there at your sister's house / And you've still got it in your drawer, even now," in the background. The subject of "All Too Well" has long been rumored to be Gyllenhaal [6], whom Swift dated for about three months in late 2010. The sister in question is allegedly Maggie Gyllenhaal [7], Jake's actor-director sister. However, during a 2017 interview on "Watch What Happens Live," [8] Maggie denied having the scarf in her possession.
An Upstate Escape
The first chapter in the story, titled "An Upstate Escape," is set in autumn, as depicted in the lyrics: "We're singing in the car, getting lost Upstate / And the autumn leaves falling down like pieces on place/ And I can picture it after all these days."
One eagle-eyed [9]fan noted the car used in the film is a Mercedes-Benz S-class manufactured in — wait for it — 1989, aka Swift's year of birth and the title of her fifth studio album. Swift herself commented on this theory, confirming theories that it is, indeed, an Easter egg. "Can't stop, won't stop being cryptic and weird – that's just the beginning, it's gonna be a fun week," Swift cheekily commented on the fan's TikTok ahead of the video release.
Also, it's worth noting Gyllenhaal may have the same car [10] in his collection of vehicles. Not to mention, the "Upstate Escape" scenes eerily mirror a similar scene in the actor's 2010 movie "Love & Other Drugs," [11] which came out around the same time he dated Swift.
Sink’s Character in the Rearview Mirror
As the couple are driving down a scenic road, O'Brien's character (presumably Gyllenhaal) looks over at Sink's character as the wind blows through her hair, and then we see Sink in a rearview-mirror shot. It is yet another foreboding indication she'll eventually become a part of this man's past, despite being so in love in the beginning phase of the relationship.
Swift is no stranger to employing the rearview-mirror imagery about a failed relationship, as is demonstrated lyrically or visually in her previous songs, such as "White Horse," "Long Story Short," "Wildest Dreams," and "Style."
Replicating Their Autumn Stroll
Watching Sink and O'Brien frolicking down a beautiful autumn road, one of the famous public pics of the couple [12] that comes to mind is the one where Swift and Gyllenhaal — clad in autumnal layers — smiled walking down the road hand in hand on Thanksgiving weekend in 2010. We remember it all too well! So is this Swift assuring us it is about *that* relationship, or is she poking fun at the media that wouldn't leave her alone?
Their Dueling Musical Tastes
While Sink and O'Brien's characters sit by a lake, they share earphones while listening to Sink's character's music. This scene seemingly references two other songs off "Red" rumored to be about Gyllenhaal: "Begin Again" and "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together."
In "Begin Again," she sings, "Turn my lock and put my headphones on / He always said he didn't get this song, but I do," and "You said you never met one girl who had as many James Taylor records as you, but I do." Meanwhile, in "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," she sings, "And you would hide away and find your peace of mind / With some indie record that's much cooler than mine." Both instances indicate the couple's musical tastes were at odds, and he looked down on her musical choices.
The Age Difference
The second chapter, titled "The First Crack in the Glass," depicts the eye-opening dinner where Sink's character begins noticing underlying issues in her relationship due to the age gap, all of which seemingly mirror Swift's relationship with Gyllenhall. (They have a nine-year age difference.)
A dinner table scene shows O'Brien's character chatting away with old-time friends as Sink awkwardly sits with no one to talk to. While everyone's drinking and having a good time, Sink's character's wine glass is full, seemingly a nod to the fact Swift was only 20 when she dated Gyllenhaal and couldn't legally drink. Later, O'Brien's character says he hadn't seen his friends in "almost 10 years," further highlighting their age gap.
Another indicator is this version of the song is 10 minutes long. Swift prefaced her song "Last Kiss" with a 27-second-long instrumental, which was an indirect reference to the amount of time it took Joe Jonas [13] to break things off with her back in 2008, so "All Too Well"'s new runtime can't entirely be coincidental. Am I right? Lastly, Sink and O'Brien's actual 11 year age difference falls under the same category as Swift and Gyllenhaal's, making them the perfect casting choices.
“Champagne Problems” Reference
During the dinner table scene, Sink reaches to hold O'Brien's hand, but he mindlessly drops it, exacerbating her feelings of exclusion. While arguing following the dinner, Sink's character furiously yells, "You dropped my f*cking hand," which may be a reference to "Champagne Problems" from Swift's 2020 release, "Evermore." In it, she sings: "Because I dropped your hand while dancing / Left you out there standing / Crestfallen on the landing / Champagne problems."
O'Brien's character scoffs at Sink's accusation that he dropped her hand, claiming he doesn't remember doing it, which seemingly highlights how trivial the issue was to him. In other words, it was a Champagne problem to him.
“Tolerate It” and “New Year’s Day” Parallels in Their Kitchen Argument
After O'Brien's character's friends clear out after dinner, the couple argue in the kitchen as Sink's character cleans the dishes. As she cleans, her partner hands her more dirty dishes instead of helping, showing his unwillingness to clean up the metaphorical messes in their relationship. The scene seems to depict the narrative from "Evermore"'s "Tolerate It [14]." In the song's second verse, Swift sings, "I take your indiscretions all in good fun / I sit and listen / I polish plates until they gleam and glisten / You're so much older and wiser and I / I wait by the door like I'm just a kid." It's possible Swift's personal experiences informed her achingly painful lyrics.
Another reference could be to the closing track on "Reputation," "New Year's Day [15]." An empty wine bottle rests near the kitchen sink as Sink's character cleans the dishes. In "New Year's Day," Swift sings about her and her partner Joe Alwyn's willingness to contribute to menial tasks such as cleaning up after their New Year's party. However, in the short film, O'Brien's character's actions are at odds with Alwyn's courteous nature. The burden solely falls on Sink's character, as if she is single-handedly responsible for making things better.
Sink and O'Brien's Wardrobe
Sadie Sink's dinner party outfit — which includes a black turtleneck and her signature red lip — resembles the one Swift rocks on her first-ever TikTok, where she flaunts her recent musical eras, including "Folklore," "Evermore," "Fearless (Taylor's Version)," and "Red (Taylor's Version)." Furthermore, O'Brien's wardrobe is uncannily similar to Gyllenhaal's, down to his costume staples such as beanies, jackets, plaid shirts, and woolen scarves.
"Dancing 'Round the Kitchen" and Other Red Lyrics
Of course, the short film wouldn't be complete without the couple "dancing 'round the kitchen in the refrigerator light," would it? If you look deeper at the scene, you may notice the contrast between the blue light of the refrigerator behind O'Brien's character and the golden hue of the morning sun peering in from the kitchen window behind Sink reflects the guys's coldness and how he was beginning to fall out of love at this point, while Swift's character is still radiating the warmth of her love for him.
Besides bringing those classic "All Too Well" lyrics to the screen, we also get a snapshot of the couple doing a crossword puzzle in bed, referencing the title track, "Red"'s lyrics: "Fighting with him was like trying to solve a puzzle and realizing there's no right answer."
In another shot, we see the couple cozily sitting in front of a fireplace as they play a game of cards, which is likely another reference to "Red"'s opening song. In "State of Grace," Swift sings: "Love is a ruthless game / Unless you play it good and right."
A Post-Breakup Identity Crisis
In one scene, Sink's character is at an event surrounded by a bunch of seemingly sophisticated people. She looks around, awkwardly trying to find her place. Her self-esteem took a tumble during this relationship, and she's consistently trying to regain some semblance of the self-confidence she used to feel before the breakup. This scene seems to reference the lyrics to another song from "Red (Taylor's Version)" titled "Better Man": "And I see the permanent damage you did to me."
Her 21st Birthday Party
It's assumed Gyllenhaal skipped Swift's 21st birthday party, as is documented in the song "The Moment I Knew." "And they're all standing around me singing, 'Happy birthday to you,' but there was one thing missing, and that was the moment I knew," she sings on the track about the last straw in her relationship at the time.
Now, in the "All Too Well: Short Film," we see Sink's character celebrating her birthday with her close friends as she woefully looks back on the good times O'Brien's character used to charm her dad (who's played by the "Stranger Things" [16] director Shawn Levy). On the wall behind them hangs a couple of childhood photos of him, which is also a lyric from "All Too Well" where Swift sings, "And your mother's telling story 'bout you on the tee-ball team / You taught me 'bout your past thinking your future was me."
Back at the party, Sink's character can be seen sporting a locket that appeared in the official lyrical video of the vault track "Run." [17] The "Red" song "Sad, Beautiful, Tragic" also describes a similar locket: "I stood right by the track / Your face in a locket." Also, did you notice the Red gift box [18] sitting among birthday gifts, as previewed by Swift on her recent TikTok?
"White Horse" Music Video Reference
While reeling from her breakup, Sink's character despondently sits in a position and setting similar to the one represented in the "White Horse" music video [19], which also sees Swift grappling with a heartache.
The Remembering
The penultimate chapter, "The Remembering," brings the viewers to the revelation that O'Brien's character has been reliving the reel of high moments of their relationship on loop, much like Sink's character, echoing the lyrics: "You remember it all." They are both haunted by their past.
The Red-Headed Taylor
Yes, Sink is exceptionally talented and perfectly cast for "All Too Well: The Short Film," but is there more to it? In the film's final moments, Sink's character is all grown up and now played by Swift herself (sporting red hair, of course). Seeing Swift in a vulnerable yet immensely powerful position as she reads out a biographical novel, it's hard not to think back to Amy Adams [20]'s character in the movie "Nocturnal Animals," [21] Susan Morrow.
Interestingly enough, the movie also stars Gyllenhaal as Susan's ex-husband, who's written a no-holds-barred autobiographical manuscript about their marriage that immediately thrusts her into the whirlpool of disconcerting memories surrounding their marital life.
If you think about it, "All Too Well" depicts the movie's plot in reverse. Swift's ex in the video would be similarly confronted by the harsh realities of their relationship. While this theory may seem far-fetched, Swift never leaves a single stone unturned when it comes to the Easter eggs hidden in her work.