When the Netflix Original “Tall Girl” was first announced, I was excited and skeptical. First, I was excited to see actors such as Sabrina Carpenter, Griffin Gluck, and many more. But I was skeptical of what Netflix would produce of a movie about a tall girl.

The story line begins with a 16 year old girl named Jodi, portrayed by actress Ava Michelle. The high school teen struggles with her height of 6’1”, contrasting with all her other peers. She meets the new foreign exchange student named Stig, played by Luke Eisner, and develops a crush. As the plot continues, Jodi comes to the realization that she is more than her insecurities about her height and appearance. Although at first glance it may seem like another typical teen-romance, it isn’t. The movie may have had a love aspect, but that was second-hand to what the overall intent which is to either “stand tall or lay low” against those insecurities.

Being very tall or very short is relatable, but when compared to the main character, Jodi who’s only 6’1” makes it questionable. At Metea, we have a large population boys and girls who either are of that height or even exceed past it and so it definitely isn’t a minority. However, in the “Tall Girl” universe, they portray Jodi as this super-giant, in which people can only relate to based off her self-esteem. Feeling like you’re out of place, constantly comparing yourself, or even feeling the need to find validation for your insecurities.

Jodi isn’t the best representation of an outcast. Yes, she is tall, but that’s basically the only insecurity about her. She is still a white, blonde, and pretty teenager with a middle-class reputation. Alongside, she has a good amount of friends to back her up. Netflix could’ve easily cast a more representive person to showcase an “outcaster”, but they didn’t. Instead they chose a person who meets the criteria of today’s society, skinny and pretty that is. 

There is a generalization going around in movies which is makeovers. Surprise, surprise, “Tall Girl” has a makeover scene. Changing your appearance is only temporary and cannot be the solution to your insecurities. 

In terms of the movie itself, the directing and acting passed as good. It brought in a voice and created a story line about standing tall against diversity. However, “Tall Girl” is something I probably will never watch again. It’s nice to know that it attempted to talk about body image and self-esteem issues,  but realistically, situations like these will never happen and in fictional terms, it’s overrated and it ends up as another disappointing Netflix Original.