Ashtyn Britt
abritt@lc.edu
After the hot mess that was the show Insatiable, I was starting to worry Netflix wouldn’t be able to offer anything valuable. I was so happy to be wrong! This movie is not only one of the best romance movies I’ve seen in years, but it’s also one of the best movies in general that I’ve seen in years.
The acting was good, the setting was realistic, the writing wasn’t cringe-worthy, and it gave all kinds of people a real chance to shine. As if I couldn’t rave enough about this movie, I have read all four books the film was based off and was shocked to see that the movie stayed true to the source material and did it justice! Spoiler warning for anyone who hasn’t seen this movie yet, I beg of you to get on Netflix as soon as you can and watch this film!
This movie follows the story of Lara Jean Covey, a shy girl who loves to get lost in romantic fantasies as she waits for her own love story to start. In the meantime, any time that she has a great crush, she writes a letter to express her emotions and then keeps in a box just for herself.
Things take a turn when these letters get mailed out, and the boys she wrote to actually read their letters. This is especially horrible because one of these boys is Lara Jean’s older sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh.
When Peter Kavinsky, another boy that received a letter from Lara Jean, tries to let her down is when she realizes what’s happened. As she notices Josh about to approach her with his own letter, Lara Jean kisses Peter in a panic to make it appear that she no longer has any feelings for Josh.
It is afterward that Lara Jean fills Peter in on the situation and reassures him she has no feelings for Peter either. However, Peter decides that the two should engage in a fake relationship to continue making Josh think they’re a couple, as well as try to make Peter’s ex-girlfriend Gen come back to him. However, as Peter grows closer to Lara Jean and her family, emotions start to ruin their plans on keeping their relationship pretend.
Watching Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky fall in love on screen reminded me why I loved reading the books so much and got my fingers twitching with the urge to reread the series all over again. The chemistry between the actors as they grow the character’s relationship over time is palpable, and what makes the movie so great.
I genuinely find myself holding my breath as I wait for the two to finally kiss and profess their true feelings. As a hopeless romantic myself, I can’t stop watching this movie over and over. For anyone looking for a new film to love for years to come, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is for you! For anyone who’s watched the first movie and is desperate to know what happens next, I suggest requesting and reading the next two books in the series through the library. These books include P.S. I Still Love You, and Always and Forever Lara Jean.
