It seems that Netflix has been favoring quantity over quality in its original movies (remember “The Perfect Date” or “Sierra Burgess is a Loser”?). “Tall Girl,” one of the newest additions to the abundant Netflix originals, fits the mold of Netflix’s dime-a-dozen mentality. Though I did not hate the movie, Netflix’s recent price increase does not seem to be worth the content it has been releasing.
The problem with the repetition of the cliché Netflix formula is the price increase. This year, Netflix’s monthly plans have increased by $1 for the basic plan and by $2 for the standard and premium plans. With this price increase, many consumers are hoping for increasingly good content. However, with mostly negative reviews, “Tall Girl” does not promise that the price increase means higher quality from Netflix’s original content.
“Tall Girl” tells the story of Jodi, a high school girl who is,you guessed it, tall. At 6 feet, 1 inch, Jodi is constantly harassed by her classmates for her height. Dunkleman, Jodi’s nerdy bestie, has pined after Jodi since middle school (think Duckie from “Pretty in Pink”). Enter Stig, the devilishly handsome Swedish exchange student who all the girls fall for, including Jodi and her nemesis Kimmy.
Just so it’s been said, I can’t help but feel like 6 feet, 1 inch isn’t freakishly tall. Don’t get me wrong, it’s tall, especially for a girl, and I don’t mean to lessen the trials people may endure from being above-average heights. But it seems like every other actor in the film was below 5 feet, 5 inches to make her height seem unheard of.
So other than the height thing, here’s why “Tall Girl” isn’t worth the price increase. To start with, it received a score of 38 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, not ideal. The characters were all very predictable: the outcast main character, her spunky best friend, the friend-zoned goof, the modelesque mean girl and the beautiful crush. None of which exactly break any molds. There were also many eye roll-worthy moments: such as when Jodi’s dad invited a tall people club over, the very unexpected “Guys and Dolls” duet or really any of the kissing scenes.
With that being said, I can’t put this movie down too much. Because I’ve got to say: I didn’t hate watching it. In the end, Jodi wears heels to her homecoming dance in a show of self-acceptance. She realizes that Dunkleman was the right guy all along. The movie carried valid messages and moments that made me genuinely feel for the characters. Maybe I’m optimistic, or maybe I’m just a sucker. Either way, I expected to hate this movie, but I came out on the other side of it feeling hopeful and encouraged.
Netflix needs to step up its original movie game, especially if they expect customers to continue to pay more monthly. “Tall Girl” is not the content consumers expected to come out of this price increase, but maybe the romantics out there can find enjoyment in these new movies. Hopefully, soon, Netflix will get it right again.
