There’s no doubt that He’s All That’s namesake and inspiration—90s teen flick She’s All That—was and still is a hit, a staple on every classic teen rom-com list. She’s All That premiered in box offices on January 29th, 1999, and grossed approximately $63 million for its entire box office run, even becoming the box office number-one film on opening weekend with a whopping $16 million. The movie boasts an impressive cast, with Baby-Sitters Club star Rachel Leigh Cook and the ever-popular Freddie Prinze Jr. playing the main roles opposite each other, but the movie also features the likes of Matthew Lillard, Gabrielle Union, and Usher. She’s All That no doubt helped skyrocket these stars’ careers well into their adult lives, but can the gender-swapped re-adaptation do the same for TikTok star Addison Rae?
“He’s All That” isn’t really all that…
The whole premise of the film was to re-adapt the tropes of She’s All That to be more relatable for today’s adolescent audience, replacing athletic, academic, and wealthy golden boy Zach Siler with trendy social media influencer Padgett Sawyer. Padgett’s story has a special spin, though, as we find out that her family is “poor” and her influencer status is actually vital for college scholarships, of all things. Really, Netflix, a pity party? What next are we going to see a re-adapted “outcast” character now that being an artist no longer makes someone a social pariah? Somehow, that’s exactly what we see, with the mysterious and socially-awkward Cameron Kweller (portrayed by The Fosters star Tanner Buchanan), who prefers analog photography over social interaction with his peers. Aaaaaand, that’s his personality. That, and horses. I mean, way to take two-dimensional to an entirely different level, Netflix. That takes some real talent. How hard is it to write a character adapted for the modern teen audience without resorting to recycled tropes? She’s All That is already a modernized take on My Fair Lady which itself is a movie adaptation of the play Pygmalion. Washington Post journalist Sonia Rao analyzes the movie in further detail and depth, and she makes it clear that He’s All That is nothing more than what she deems the next edition of “Did we really need this?”, and I can’t help but agree.
The real problem with this movie lies not in the fact that it’s a modernized remake of a classic film, but that it makes no effort to do more than take the elements of She’s All That that made it relevant to the viewing audience of the 90s and merely translate them. The main theme of Pygmalion is that life is too realistic to get caught up in idealism, and while He’s All That certainly brings up the fact that short-term fame on TikTok is an idealism that many teens dedicate themselves to chasing, that’s all it does. There’s no commentary, only a shallow and trope-filled effort to “modernize” what was already modern enough.
Too many “old” films are receiving shoddy remakes for streaming services, and all this is simply because traditional media producers are struggling to engage today’s youth. Of the estimated 1 billion TikTok users worldwide, almost 30 percent are under 18 years old and another 35 percent are aged 19-29. This means that 65 percent of TikTok users internationally are younger than the average age of the creative teams of most films. Kids are growing up in a digital age where everything is at their fingertips, and more and more of them are turning to mass-produced content like YouTube and TikTok not just because of convenience and brevity, but also their increased relevance. Content created by peers with similar interests is simply more engaging for young people now than cringe-y stereotyped films. With trends, memes, and popular lingo changing within the day thanks to social media platforms like Twitter and Tumblr, it’s harder for corporate boards and Gen X creators to stay relevant to an increasingly diverse and critical audience such as today’s youth. Their solution is less than innovative and clearly a cash grab, and people are tired of it.
So where does this leave the film industry?
The whole nature of TikTok is to breed “15 minutes of fame”—an easy way into stardom and viral fame for those who are looking for popularity, but what it doesn’t breed is talented and well-versed “jack of all trades” actors. Addison Rae may be popular for her 30-second dances and bright smiles, but even that is less about talent and more about on-camera charisma and the beauty factor. Unfortunately, dancing big and smiling bright doesn’t get you anywhere in Hollywood, no matter how popular you are with pre-teens. Or, does it?
Despite scathing criticism for her performance in the leading role, the newly minted actress has just signed a multi-film contract with streaming conglomerate Netflix, and the reactions are… conflicted, to say the least. TikTok user @hannahkosh made this TikTok when the news broke, and the comments are all over the spectrum, ranging from outright rage and cynicism to genuine (and fanatic) support. While some say that people should be happy for the TikTok star’s being able to do what she’s passionate about regardless of how she gained such platform, others are critical more of Netflix and their outward progression towards flashy remakes and cash-grabs and see Addison Rae’s contract as another stepping stone to monetary success.
See, the dangerous trend in today’s world of instant media access and alarming output rate of content is that short-term cash grabs are quickly overtaking well-produced original films in mainstream media, and He’s All That fits the bill. The film reached #1 streamed in over 78 countries, including Brazil and Saudi Arabia. And yet, it also has a score of 31 percent on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer with almost 55+ critic reviews and a 23 percent audience score based on 500+ reviews. This disconnect is just more evidence of the monotony caused by the exponential growth of streaming platforms. All Netflix cares about is numbers, and since TikTok is where fame is being made with numbers, TikTok is going to be Netflix’s new casting pool for the foreseeable future. Addison Rae’s embellished new contract is just the beginning of Netflix’s slippery slope into more and more casting mishaps, and all we can do is criticize and hate-watch as they continue to make money.
But, as the old saying goes, any publicity is good publicity, and as long as there is a “15 minutes of fame” to exploit, Netflix and other streaming services will always have a new cash cow.