Colin Farrell is one of two actors starring opposite Taylor Swift in the music video for “Patient Zero”, alongside Dakota Johnson. A 13-second teaser went out on Thursday, and the full video premieres at the MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, 27 September.
What the teaser shows
The clip is short and deliberately withholding. Swift and Johnson stand together at a graveside, according to both TheWrap and RTÉ, and RTÉ describes Farrell, dressed in black, stepping out of a luxury car while Johnson watches him. There is no dialogue and no hint of a plot. That is what 13 seconds is for: it sells the cast and the mood and keeps the story for Sunday.
TheWrap reports that Emmanuel Lubezki, the Oscar-winning cinematographer behind Gravity and The Revenant, shot the video. No second outlet has confirmed that credit yet, but if it holds, it explains why the few frames released so far look more like a film than a promo.
Where the song fits
“Patient Zero” is one of four new songs on The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, the expanded edition of Swift’s twelfth studio album, which is out on Friday. RTÉ lists the other additions as “Cleveland!”, “Pink Clouding” and “Babylon”. The song lands on Friday and the video two days later, so for once the audio will barely have time to settle before the visuals arrive.
The VMA slot is no accident of scheduling either. Swift is receiving the ceremony’s first Artist Director honour this year, as TheWrap and RTÉ both note, so the premiere doubles as a showcase for exactly the work that award recognises.
Why Farrell is the name that stands out
Film actors turn up in music videos often enough, but Farrell is an unusual choice. His recent run, which RTÉ notes includes The Banshees of Inisherin and The Batman, has been prestige drama and franchise cinema rather than pop promos. Casting him with Johnson gives Swift two leads who can carry a story rather than decorate a performance clip, and the teaser leans on that: Farrell’s moment is less about what he does than about how Johnson looks at him.
What is still unclear
Nearly everything about the story. Nothing released so far says who Farrell plays, how the three characters are connected or what the title refers to. Who directed the video has not been announced either. The answers should arrive on Sunday night, when the full cut plays at the VMAs.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Patient Zero video come out?
The full video premieres during the MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, 27 September, after a 13-second teaser released on Thursday.
Who stars in Taylor Swift’s Patient Zero video?
Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell co-star with Taylor Swift in the video, according to TheWrap and RTÉ.
Sources