When it comes to storytelling, only a few artists have managed to achieve the emotional depth that Taylor Swift brings to her music. Whether it is the stories, aesthetics, or emotional depth, she has an artistic vision like no one else.
Over the years, the global pop icon has revealed the movies that have helped her acquire this taste. Here are 10 movies Taylor Swift has recommended to her fans that you must watch.
10. Love Story (1970)
Though she has her own hit, ‘Love Story,’ this 1970 romantic classic holds a special place in her heart. The movie follows two young Harvard students, Oliver Barret IV and Jenny Cavilleri, both coming from different social standings, but falling in love. Despite much disapproval from their families, they decide to get married only to face another tragedy.
9. Marriage Story (2019)
While discussing the making of ‘All Too Well: The Short Film’, Swift revealed the films that inspired her. Out of those, this one left her upset for months.
Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver deliver some truly devastating performances in this movie that explores a painful bi-coastal divorce. The focus is on the emotional toll that the divorce takes on them, pushing them to extremes.
8. The Souvenir (2019)
Taylor Swift definitely loves arthouse films. She cited ‘The Souvenir’ as another film that inspired her short film for ‘All Too Well’, and the resemblances are definitely there.
A young and ambitious film student falls into an emotionally destructive relationship with a mysterious and unreliable man. It follows the young woman’s experience of the emotions that come with her first serious love affair and how she channels them into creativity.
7. The Way We Were (1973)
Starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford, ‘The Way We Were’ is a classic. And it also became another major inspiration behind Swift’s ‘All Too Well’ short film.
The movie is set during post-war America and takes up the love story of two people deeply in love yet fundamentally divided by their beliefs and ambitions. Swift described the movie as an example of “romantic films where these two characters are so intimately woven together, and then they just unravel the braid right in front of you.”
6. Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979)
Another emotional divorce drama that Swift drew inspiration from to create the heartbreaking storytelling behind ‘All Too Well’ music video is ‘Kramer Vs. Kramer’.
The film examines the painful fallout of separation through the perspective of a father forced to reconnect with his son after his wife divorced him. It explores themes of parenting, emotional neglect, and broken relationships, all through the lens of emotional realism that is also present in Swift’s music.
5. The Martian (2015)
Swift is clearly inspired by emotionally charged films, and they are not restricted by any genre. ‘The Martian’, starring Matt Damon, is another favorite that she shared.
It tells the story of astronaut Mark Watney, who is left behind on Mars after his teammates presume him dead. But Mark wakes up to realize he is all alone on the hostile planet with meager resources to survive on.
4. Rear Window (1954)
Alfred Hitchcock’s legendary classic has also earned Swift’s admiration. You can see her wearing a black-and-white dress in her music video for ‘Me!’. It is actually inspired by the one Grace Kelly wears in the movie ‘Rear Window’.
Shot entirely within one room and from the point-of-view outside the window, the film follows a bored photographer recovering from a broken leg. He passes the time by watching his neighbors and becomes convinced that one of them has committed murder.
3. The Shape of Water (2017)
Directed by Guillermo del Toro, ‘The Shape of Water’ is one of Swift’s all-time favorite films. Its dreamy and whimsical themes definitely align with Swift’s storytelling in the ‘Folklore’ and ‘Evermore’ eras.
A mute janitor named Elisa, who works at a high-security government laboratory. She falls in love with an amphibious creature being held captive there. Elisa decides to help him break free from the identity of “the Asset” and escape the cruelties of the evil colonel.
2. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
Another Guillermo del Toro masterpiece that captivated Swift is ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’. She has talked about her love for fairy tales and folk horror, and this movie is known for blending history, mythology, and fantasy.
A young girl named Ofelia moves in to live with her stepfather, Captain Vidal, as her mother gets pregnant. In her new home, she discovers a labyrinth. Here, a mysterious faun tells her she is a lost princess from an underground kingdom.
1. The Devil’s Backbone (2001)
Taylor Swift can be called a certified fan of Guillermo del Toro. Another beloved film of hers is ‘The Devil’s Backbone’. She mentioned how every time she watches his movies, she gets dazzled, and her whole world turns into folktales and forests and mythical creatures.
‘The Devil’s Backbone’ follows Carlos, a young boy orphaned during the Spanish Civil War. When he is sent to live in a remote orphanage, he arrives and finds the ghost of a dead child who haunts the building. Soon, he discovers this place is filled with dark secrets that he must unravel.
