We still can’t get enough!
PHOTO FROM NETFLIX
After the 2014 novel “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”, written by Jenny Han, garnered critical acclaim, the beloved young adult fiction book scored a deal with Netflix to hit the big screen.
Fans of the book quickly flocked to Netflix, and within 24 hours the movie was rated at 5 stars and was quickly becoming a hot topic on social media platforms, getting rave reviews from critics.
Both Lana Condor (Lara Jean) and Noah Centineo (Peter Kavinsky) effortlessly filled their roles and had amazing chemistry on screen. From their butterfly-in-the-stomach small talks to their steamy hot-tub scene, Lana and Noah won the hearts of fans and became their new OTP.
However, some of the smaller roles had some hiccups and on-screen awkwardness towards the beginning of the movie. Specifically, “Pretty Little Liars”’ Janel Parrish (Margot), and Anna Cathcart’s (Kitty) performances felt forced and awkward. Thankfully this dissipated about 20 minutes into the film.
The movie falls into another generic teeny-bopper high school rom-com, but there’s something different about this Susan Johnson adaptation than other movies in this category. The movie perfectly encapsulates the relationship between siblings, but also the relationship between a single parent and their child. It portrays a very realistic coming-of-age story where Lara Jean fights with her inner desire to be invisible, but also her desire to be heard and a part of the crowd.
Because of this, the movie does not have any flat plotlines or surface-level character tropes. These are real life things that happen to people during their high school journeys, even if their personal letters don’t get sent out to their hardcore crushes. And all of these facets of life can intersect and affect how a person approaches the complexities of the high school hierarchy.
Even though the movie slightly differs from the book, the changes were made so gracefully that readers and new fans alike thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Even though the changes were noticeable (especially for avid readers of the book), they smoothly fit into the film and added a new comedic edge that was more fitting for a cinematic interpretation of the novel.
If you’re looking for a getaway to take the edge off an already stressful semester, “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” is the perfect binge-worthy flashback to the golden days of highschool when things were a lot more simple and innocent.
