Almost Popular 2025

At Rosewood High, Susie Quinn, Ruby Rose Turner a junior, struggles with social invisibility in a strictly tiered high school world. Susie and her lifelong best friend, Bobbie Roberts, Reid Miller find themselves stuck in the middle tier of the social ladder, dreaming of a senior-year turning point and fixating on the most powerful clique—the POP Girls—whose ranks include Vicki Reinhard, Ellodee Carpenter and Renee Lalita, Isabella Ferreira. Susie believes that joining this group is the surest way to begin her late adolescence with momentum, and she throws herself into studying the POP Girls’ rules, fashion, and online presence.

Together they observe the POP Girls’ patterns, fashion, and social media usage. Susie, though awkward, tries to become more visible at school, but her efforts read as a spectacle to the rest of the student body. She finally receives an invitation to the POP Girls’ party, which she sees as progress. Inside, the party reveals the clique’s manipulation and humiliation, with Vicki Reinhard, Ellodee Carpenter clearly at the helm, while Renee Lalita, Isabella Ferreira seems uncomfortable with the cruelty.

Renee reaches out with cautious advice about navigating the school’s social dynamics. Through her relationship with Susie, Bobbie Reid Miller is able to get close to the clique and witness the pressure they bear to stay popular. This evolving dynamic forces Susie to reevaluate the costs of chasing popularity.

The tension peaks during a school assembly stunt designed to boost the clique’s image, and Susie is asked to distance herself from Bobbie to gain partial acceptance. She initially complies, leaving Bobbie stranded and creating a rift between the friends. But she eventually comes to her senses and publicly acknowledges her mistakes, allowing reconciliation with Bobbie. Through her connection with Susie, Renee comes to realize how much pretence it takes to remain in the spotlight and eventually defects from Vicki’s leadership.

In the end, Susie and Bobbie redefine what popularity means. They are not part of the POP Girls, but they begin their final year of high school with a renewed sense of identity.