“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” and “Sierra Burgess is a Loser” send two different messages to viewers
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You’re not seeing Peter Kavinsky twice, instead, you’re seeing Noah Centineo playing take on the role of Jamey in Netflix’s new film Sierra Burgess is a Loser. Still as lovable as ever, Centineo is once again able to steal our hearts with his new love interest, Shannon Purser playing the lead role of Sierra Burgess.
Netflix’s new original film focuses on a text message sent to Sierra, which she realizes is from popular hottie Jamey, but he instead believes he is texting Veronica, the most popular girl in school. Unwilling to end her text conversations with Jamey, Sierra concocts a plan. In exchange for a few hours of tutoring to impress the college boy she is seeing, Veronica agrees to go along with Sierra’s catfishing plan. As expected, things go horribly wrong once Veronica and Jamey kiss. As an act of revenge, Sierra takes over Veronica’s Instagram, telling the whole school the college boy broke up with her, “dumped over dm.”
In the end, Sierra’s character made little character development and was unable to apologize for her actions, until Jamey surprised her and took her to homecoming, where she finally apologizes to Veronica and gets a happy ending she did not deserve.
Netflix missed the mark on the lesson needed to be learned in this movie. Sierra had an inner conflict, believing she was not skinny enough and her appearance didn’t match the type of girl that Jamey wanted to be with. Instead of realizing that she is perfect the way she is, she lies and catfishes Jamey. Nothing would have continued from a relationship that begins with lies in reality, and this sends a false message to viewers.
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This Netflix original film was strikingly different from To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. but in some ways were similar. Both characters have to overcome a certain stigma attached to dating Centineo’s character, and both girls believe or have others around them telling them they aren’t good enough to be with Centineo’s character.
In To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Lana Condor plays the role of Lara Jean Covey, a teenage girl who writes her feelings out in letters to boys she has had a crush on at one point in her life. When the letters get out, she gets involved in a fake relationship with Peter Kavinsky in order to make his ex-girlfriend jealous and to divert Josh’s attention (her sister’s ex-boyfriend) who also got a letter.
After all the time spent between the two begin to have genuine feelings for each other. Condor’s character, like Purser’s, is unable to confront Centeno’s character and instead hides her feelings. Fortunately, Condor’s character, in the end, is able to share her feelings in person to Centeno’s character reading out loud a letter she wrote to him. They kiss and decide to have a fresh start and begin a relationship.
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Both films are good teen romances, but To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before sends a positive message to the audience telling them to go after love and not hide your feelings. Sierra Burgess is a Loser has a happy ending but doesn’t send a positive clear message. The message needed to be clear telling the audience to love themselves for who they are because everyone is perfect just the way they are, instead, it is hidden behind catfishing and lying.