The movie, Tall Girl, directed by Nzingha Stewart, is about — you guessed it — a tall girl in high school. While the name leaves little to the imagination, this Netflix original movie has more to it than the title suggests.

The film demonstrates in a new way what it is like to look different than everyone else and be the source of comedy because of those differences. The main character, Jodi Kreyman, played by Ava Michelle, is 6’1″ and struggles deeply with self-confidence. When a taller foreign exchange student catches Jodi’s eye, she asks her beauty queen older sister to help give her a makeover. With new clothes and attitude, she finds things getting better for her. Her childhood bullies start to leave her alone and she kisses the long-haired Stig Mohlin. Soon enough, everything that can go wrong does. Between best friends, bullies, family, and boys, Jodi Kreyman has a lot to figure out.

Although Tall Girl is definitely another teenage feel-good movie, its new take on the high school romance trope is refreshing.

However, the pacing of the story is lacking. The beginning took a long time to introduce the story and its characters, leaving the narrative to the middle and end. This made the intermediate part of the narrative and, eventually, the climax, drag on and on. And, when the end finally comes, though it is charming and sweet, it feels rushed. If some of the largely irrelevant scenes from the middle were taken out, there could be more substance in the conclusion.

Tall Girl’s script is especially well written. Quirky, funny, and relatable, the script makes it easy to know how many of the characters were feeling. It feels entirely like high school. Furthermore, the storyline isn’t a crazy, unrealistic high school story like some other teenage romances on Netflix.

Jodi has a lot of depth to her, which contributes to the film’s realism. She is more than a self-conscious and emotional teenage girl. She goes after what she wants and makes an effort to improve in certain areas of her life. Does she make mistakes in the movie? Of course, but she handles them maturely. Overall, Ava Michelle first major role in a film is excellent.

Sabrina Carpenter’s part, Harper Kreyman, is significantly less likable. While Carpenter is a talented actress and does play her character well, it is really difficult to connect with Harper. She is Jodi’s pageant-winning older sister. Because of her success in the beauty pageant industry, Harper is written as someone who highly values surface beauty. She is a good sister to Jodi, but her personality is redundant and predictable.

So does Tall Girl deserve a spot on the must-watch list? No, but it is a good watch when you have the time or you need something on in the background. The story is different and interesting. The acting by the leading ladies Michelle and Carpenter is excellent. Because the ending is adorable and empowering, it is worth watching the slower parts in the story.