Is ‘He's All That’ Worth the Watch? A Millennial’s Honest Review of the ‘She's All That’ Sequel

From what I had already read about the remake, I knew this flick was going to have a modernized plot. Rather than the school jock making a bet to take the nerdy/artsy girl and make her prom queen, it is now the social media influencer (who prides herself on giving makeovers) attempting to take a photography outcast and turn him into the prom king.

From the beginning, it was clear the film was going to center around social media and be incredibly cheesy (and not the kind of To All the Boys cheesy we love). The first ten minutes give us a glimpse into the life of Padgett Sawyer (Rae), a popular high school senior who is focused on providing her over 800 thousand followers (yes, she says that) with endless beauty and lifestyle content on social media.

It’s not long before her following and sponsorships (that’s where Kourtney Kardashian comes in) become damaged when her “friend ” accidentally live-streams her walking in on her douchey boyfriend hooking with one of his backup dancers (how original). Eventually, to try and gain some of her life back, she makes a bet with her shady friend—the same one that filmed her meltdown and later steals her boyfriend—that she can turn social outcast, Cameron Kweller (Cobra Kai’s Tanner Buchanan), into this year's prom king.

As I said above, both plotlines are somewhat problematic, so I was hoping this film would offer a fresh or clever take. Sadly, it was pretty much what I expected—a predictable, gender-swapped copy of the original.

Also, it's kind of a stretch to believe that Cameron is an outcast in He's All That. He is clearly handsome, has a passion for art and photography and is a great older brother and friend. So, the idea of him being the biggest “loser” doesn't really fit. Sure, he maybe could use a shower or lose his attitude from time to time, but really he is in no need of a so-called makeover (which turns out to be a haircut and a suit). And the bullying he receives just seems harsh—at least three meals to the face, having his head slammed into a locker and being thrown into a garbage can.

After a few horseback riding lessons, trips to the mall and over-the-top parties together, (spoiler alert) the two fall for each other. Obviously, Cameron ultimately ends up hurt when he learns about the bet. Like I said, nothing new here.

Fortunately, though, He's All That has its good moments. For instance, Buchanan is the highlight of the film. Any scene I enjoyed usually had him in it and I found his character to be charming and sincere, unlike Rae’s. Although Prinze’s protagonist (antagonist?) was, for lack of a better word, kind of an ass, there was something about his apology and feelings for Laney that seemed a bit more realistic to me.

The young cast and modern themes add somewhat of a fresh take, but it's for the most part the same. That being said, I was entertained and even nostalgic at times—particularly when “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None The Richer played at the prom. But best of all, I got those cameos I was looking forward to.

Overall, the flick feels a bit like we are rehashing the same themes that weren’t particularly acceptable back in the '90s. The idea of a remake seems fairly unnecessary, but still, I didn't hate it.

Would I go as far as watching it again? Probably not. But I can at least say I enjoyed the nostalgia.

He’s All That was decent enough to keep me engaged. I think fans of the first may appreciate what Netflix was trying to do and younger fans will be happy to just see their favorite TikToker on streaming. But we're still not loving the idea of taking someone “different” and “transforming” them in order to be “popular.” Addison Rae's Padgett could've used a bit more nuance. And while Tanner Buchanan delivered a solid performance, his charm and good looks made it hard to picture him as a true outcast.

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