After the internet broke following the release of the Netflix original Tall Girl in 2019, the long-awaited release of Tall Girl 2 has finally arrived. The original Tall Girl grew immensely in popularity especially on the social media platform TikTok. Many users made memes from the movie, and Tall Girl became an icon for much of Gen-Z. Now the anticipated Tall Girl 2 has finally been released

Tall Girl 2 picks up where it left off at the end of Tall Girl, following the seemingly perfect relationship between Jodi Kreyman and Jack Dunkleman. In this sequel, the focus is on Jodi and her self-discovery. The movie follows her journey as she earns the lead in the school play, “Bye Bye Birdie” and fights her insecurities while working toward her dream of performing on stage. As she becomes engrossed in preparations for the show, she loses her connection with Jack causing a series of arguments leading to a dramatic breakup. Jodi switches her focus to be solely on the play as a way to cope through her breakup. She forms a very strong bond with her new friend and co-star in the show, Tommy Torres. Stig, the Sweden exchange student, brings his sister, Freeda, for a visit and Jodis’ now ex-boyfriend forms a close relationship with her, as his way of mourning the breakup. Jodi and Jack navigate a series of emotions and grief following the breakup and look to make each other jealous with any chance they get. 

As show day grows nearer, the idea of mental health is brought to light in this film as well. As Jodie struggles with anxiety attacks throughout the movie, she learns to understand them better in attempts to control them. She soon realizes that she is not alone, and many of her friends and family members suffer from anxiety as well. She also continues on the journey she started in the first movie, of learning to accept herself and her insecurities. Furthermore, this movie also draws attention to men having body-image issues as well. Oftentimes self-image issues are considered a problem that only women deal with; however, Jack, Jodi’s new love interest, also struggles with self-image issues as well. He opens up to Jodi in one scene, revealing how he was bullied as a child and the trauma and insecurity that built from that. Their shared insecurities and self-image problems allowed them to bond. 

This movie has lots of modern jokes and references which are entertaining for teenage audiences. However, at several points the acting is unrealistic and overdramatic considering the situation. It can be a little hard to watch sometimes considering the acting which can be slightly cringe-worthy at some points. Many viewers have agreed, they admire how the movie addresses relatable issues like anxiety and insecurity however, some argue that the way these problems are depicted is not the most effective. Despite this, the movie teaches a good lesson about self-confidence and getting over insecurities. It is a good watch for anyone struggling with their self-image or insecurities.