Director Emily Ting Wants to Reinvigorate The Teen Movie With ‘Tall Girl 2’ (Exclusive)

The teen comedy is a potent genre with a long legacy, and director Emily Ting wanted to bring that legacy to her new Netflix film, Tall Girl 2. While some may argue that being tall isn’t the worst thing in the world, Ting wanted to take Jodie’s (Ava Michelle) concerns seriously. “I think at that age, everything feels so magnified, but if you kind of take a step back, you could kind of gain a wider perspective about where you fit in,” Ting said In an exclusive Interview with Popculture.com. “Even though in the first movie, I feel maybe not everyone could relate to being tall or think that that’s an actual problem that someone should feel disadvantaged by, but it was very true to Jodi’s journey.”

Because it is a sequel to the original that came out in 2019, Tall Girl 2 gets to explore the supporting players in a way that subverts genre expectations. “I feel like all the side characters and the supporting players from the first movie all got their own arcs in the second. Whereas Kimmy (Clara Wilsey) was very much a one-note villain in the first one, now she’s the one who ends up helping Jodi,” Ting explained. “I think the fact the evolution of their relationship is definitely a very heartwarming arc in the new film. I think that’s also very true to life. Just because you are the villain in one movie doesn’t mean that is the only thing about you. Everyone has different sides of themselves.”

While Tall Girl 2 Is ultimately a film for teenagers, Ting hopes that everyone can get a little something from the Idea of self-acceptance. “That was honestly what drew me to the project,” Ting said. “Just this whole idea of the negative self-talk. Because I feel like whereas a lot of people may not necessarily relate to being tall, everyone could relate to having that negative self-talk. That little inner voice that tells you that you’re not good enough. I mean, it’s something that as someone who’s in her forties that I still deal with.”

Ting pointed out that especially because we’re two years into a pandemic, this message of self-worth and confronting anxiety. “If this movie could help one person feel a little less alone in their battle with anxiety and with mental health, I think it’s absolutely worth it,” Ting declared. “Don’t listen to that inner voice that’s trying to tear you down, and find the positive voice from within to lift you up.” Tall Girl 2 is now available to stream on Netflix.