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The Vanderbilt Hustler

The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University.
Since 1888
The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University

The Vanderbilt Hustler

The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University.
The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University

The Vanderbilt Hustler

The official student newspaper of Vanderbilt University.

Admit it: you want to watch ‘He’s All That’

What do dance sequences, horses and estranged Swedish fathers have in common? Unfortunately, not “Mamma Mia.” We’re reviewing “He’s All That.”
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If you’ve caught wind of TikTok star Addison Rae’s debut film, “He’s All That,” you may have seen TikTok edits comparing Addison’s acting to “real” Hollywood actors, blatant product placement or disappearing limbs. 

“He’s All That” is a gender-bent adaptation of the hit 90s film, “She’s All That.” The similarities between the two basically end at the title; it’s almost as if the creators of “He’s All That” intentionally distanced themselves from the original, including a heinous amount of subplots, so a comparison couldn’t be made.

With a side hustle shoveling horse sh*t, an absent father who fled to Sweden and Kung Fu skills he learned from watching movies, the love interest, Cameron, would crush first-day-of-school icebreakers. Pick a struggle, dude. Despite these unnecessary subplots, the movie was surprisingly fast-paced. That is, apart from the three-to-five-minute dance scenes that resemble “influencers in the wild” exposés—and there were multiple. Netflix clearly wanted to capitalize on Addison’s niche skill set.

Addison and movie beau horsin’ around. (Netflix/He’s All That)

Even though this film features TikTok’s baddest bleep, it panders to a wide range of ages, making you wonder who the intended audience is. As with many Netflix originals, “He’s All That” suffers from a rampant phenomenon: “The Millennial Gaze.” The characters are clearly written and dressed by people who haven’t seen the halls of a high school in a decade. News flash: skinny jeans and side parts are a thing of the past.

Addison dons what Gen Z would consider “cheugy” outfits, and the stereotypical popular boy wears the concert attire of a washed-up Backstreet Boy. And we can’t forget  2014-Tumblr-boy-extraordinaire, Cameron, whose wig practically becomes a character in itself—rumor has it Netflix reused Joey King’s viral wig from “The Kissing Booth 3.” 

The script’s range mirrors the costuming in that it simply doesn’t mesh. Despite the film’s Disney Channel original feel, the screenwriters slipped in (no pun intended) overt sexual innuendos anywhere they could, pointedly when Addison references her wet nether regions after (horse)riding, and granny complains about her dried-up libido.

What’s more, Netflix must have used their entire budget for equestrian purposes, and were left to beg Core Water, Doritos, Pizza Hut and about a dozen other name brands for cold hard cash.

Kourt on bike (as she does). (Netflix/He’s All That)

Standing out nearly as much as the blatant product placement, “He’s All That” features celebrity cameos left and right. Front and center is Addison Rae’s real-life bestie, Kourtney Kardashian, who is exclusively seen atop a Peloton Bike (more product placement!), likely reading her three lines from a teleprompter. Two stars from the original cast, Rachael Leigh Cook and Matthew Lillard, play minor characters, offering a fun and unexpected twist for fans of the original movie. 

So, is “He’s All That” worth the watch? Despite the overexaggerated tropes and subpar acting, this film admittedly provides some entertainment value, and even a few endearing moments. If you’re a fan of the original movie, “straight TikTok,” long-winded prom dance battles or MyLifeAsEva’s hit single “Literally My Life”—which is in no way related to the movie but has the same energy—“He’s All That” might be the perfect way to procrastinate your work.

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The Vanderbilt Hustler welcomes and encourages readers to engage with content and express opinions through the comment sections on our website and social media platforms. The Hustler reserves the right to remove comments that contain vulgarity, hate speech, personal attacks or that appear to be spam, commercial promotion or impersonation. The comment sections are moderated by our Editor-in-Chief, Rachael Perrotta, and our Social Media Director, Chloe Postlewaite. You can reach them at [email protected] and [email protected].
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