Netflix Needs to be Stopped: the Worst Netflix Original Rom Coms to Disgrace the Screen

Netflix, the widely browsed streaming service, has at times struck bullseye in the original romances category–the recently released second season of “Bridgerton,” for instance– but, it has just as often missed the mark entirely.

While big-budget original productions offer Netflix the chance to deliver unique storylines and beautiful production, they often fall victim to overplayed tropes, cinematography, and fashion design and styling that looks 10 years too young for the characters played by actors 10 years too old to portray teenagers.

The Kissing Booth

Anyone who streams Netflix is probably aware of the monstrous disaster that has become “The Kissing Booth” franchise. These three movies have upset Netflix watchers for several reasons, including the fact that many favorite shows (such as “The Society”) were canceled or discontinued in order for these movies to be made. Most people agree that there was never (nor will there ever be) a need for a third movie, let alone a second or a first.

“The Kissing Booth” movies follow high schooler Elle Evans (Joey King) and her friendship with Lee Flynn (Joel Courtney) as well as her troubled relationship with Flynn’s older brother, Noah Flynn (Jacob Elordi). These movies have quickly become a standing joke as the (objectively) worst movies on Netflix primarily due to their completely unoriginal storylines and inaccurate, cringingly embarrassing dialogue, subplots, and even outfits. Safe to say, most people would agree that nothing has ever been gained from watching any of the three “The Kissing Booth” movies, as you could easily find another romantic comedy with a similar plot that was executed ten times better — if not nearly as easy to mock as “The Kissing Booth.” We’ll give it that, at least. “The Kissing Booth” is the perfect set of movies for an intense making-fun-of session.

He’s All That

The movie “He’s All That” is another romantic comedy film that was gender-swapped from the original film “She’s All That” released in 1999. Based on remakes, the new film is a disgrace to the original film through horrible CGI, excessive product placement, and the main character played by a TikTok influencer. In the remake, the main character Padgett Sawyer (Addison Rae) is a high school social media influencer who got humiliated on an Instagram live when she broke up with her boyfriend. To save her reputation as an influencer, she made a bet with her friends to give Cameron Kweller (Tanner Buchanan) a glow-up to make him prom king. The film goes even more downhill through product placements making it feel like a 90-minute advertisement through characters snacking on a bucket of KFC chicken, Pizza Hut, Smartfood Popcorn, and more. Like, could this film not be more obvious with product placement?

Not to mention that the editing for this film was atrocious, especially when Padgett was dancing and singing behind a green screen beach. As she was swinging her arm around, her hand was completely gone leaving only her arm visible. Based on this, I recommend not watching this remake, and instead watching the original film. Ultimately, this film is truly flawed, and we can all agree that this movie is not all that.

Tall Girl

There are some things that I’m positive were born out of sheer boredom and nothing else: throw pillows, fake pockets, and those puffer-jacket inspired phone cases. And, headlining the list? The “Tall Girl” movie series. “Tall Girl” and its even more revolting sequel, deftly named “Tall Girl 2,” are painstakingly formulaic, devoid of all plot or nuance, and are movies for the masochist and the masochist only. Truly, I’d like to believe they were cultivated in a test tube in a lab by sadists, for imagining somebody with even a shred of morals or taste approving the release of such disastrous movies is simply too much of a hit to my hope for the future.

The tall girl in question, and the protagonist, unfortunately, is none other than Jodi Kreyman (Ava Michelle), a 6-and-a-half foot tall high schooler who struggles with her height and the resulting insecurities. Except, and perhaps this is where everything goes downhill, “Tall Girl” focuses very little on Jodi’s height and her struggle with it. Rather, the movies follow her melodramatic high school experience, embroilment in an entirely predictable love triangle with her longtime friend and the new Swedish foreign exchange student named Stig (Luke Eisner), and her ultimate–and completely shocking–discovery that her height isn’t a flaw. Out of left field, truly! “Tall Girl 2” is nearly word for word identical, with Jodi re-entering the exact same love triangle and rediscovering her self-confidence after starring in a school production.

While an optimist may claim that the creators of “Tall Girl” meant to deliver a witty, empowering movie about embracing insecurities and standing up to bullies, a realist will see that the only inspiring moment in the hours of footage that sparked any real joy was the moment that the screen, at last, went black.

Netflix has all the resources, actors, and writers needed to create excellent rom-coms, not to mention a more than willing audience. Yet, there are way too many misses in their hit to miss ratio. If nothing else, let this article stand as a plea to Netflix, please, from the bottom of our hearts, produce rom-coms that make us cry, and not out of boredom.