Taylor Swift’s ‘Patient Zero’ Video Arrives With a Haunting Plot Twist: How to Watch
Swift, who stars in and directs "Patient Zero," haunts Dakota Johnson in an attempt to warn her of what's to come in the video that's streaming now.
Taylor Swift, "Patient Zero"
Taylor Swift put a plot twist straight out of a thriller into her “Patient Zero” video, which is now available to watch on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music (but not YouTube).
Swift’s “Patient Zero” starts and ends at a grave, and she brings a bit of Hollywood to its music video with Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell starring alongside her. Swift directed the visual and premiered it while receiving an award for directing music videos at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday (Sept. 27).
Swift and Johnson twin with their looks in “Patient Zero,” wearing the same clothes and hairstyles, swimming with the same strokes and finding themselves in peril with the same man. In one scene, Swift and Johnson are reflections of one another in a mirror.
“Patient Zero” shows a relationship portrayed by Johnson and Farrell both playing out and falling out.
A dramatic scene depicts Johnson blacking out after a single drink and the aftermath in the car ride home — which has her apologizing as Farrell gaslights her.
“How many drinks have you had tonight?” he says. “It’s like you love humiliating me in front of everyone.”
As it turns out, she has reason to feel confused by what’s happening to her and by her partner’s reaction. Swift looms throughout the video in an attempt to warn of what’s to come.
“Patient Zero” is one of four new songs Swift unveiled this week in an unexpected release connected to her The Life of a Showgirl album. Besides “Patient Zero,” The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore features the bonus track “Cleveland!” as well as “Pink Clouding” and “Babylon.”
Swift was the recipient of the inaugural Artist Director Honors at the VMAs.
The accolade was created to recognize “groundbreaking music artists whose work behind the camera has expanded the possibilities of music video and advanced the art of visual storytelling,” and it “celebrates a sustained and influential body of work from artists who have pushed creative boundaries and developed a clear directorial voice,” according to the announcement of the honor.
She went into the awards Sunday night holding 30 Moon Persons, and walked out with two more: the Artist Director Honors and the video of the year award for “The Fate of Ophelia.”
The “Patient Zero” music video is currently available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music. It can also be seen in replays of the 2026 VMAs via MTV, CBS and Paramount+.
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