Netflix’s long-awaited sequel of To All the Boys I Loved Before was released on February 12, 2020. To All the Boys I Loved Before adapted from Jenny Han series mega-popular series of books. A charming story of Lara Jean, a shy but uniquely herself girl whose love life comes to get complicated as her sister sends letters to all the boys she wrote secret love letters to. A charming, stylistic movie about love and coming of age. It was one of Netflix’s biggest releases and most popular movies on the streaming platform. The first movie made the leads, Lana Condor as Lara Jean and Noah Centineo as Peter Kavinsky’s household names. At least the household of teenage girls.
As someone who was completely obsessed with the books and first movie, my hope was high for the release of the second movie: To All the Boys I Loved Before: P.S. I Still Love You. While the second movie brought plenty of drama as Lara Jean battled with inner insecurities and found herself in the middle of a complicated love triangle, in my opinion, it fell victim to sequels never being as good as the first. Here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know:
- Style
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One of the most captivating elements of the first movie was the creative and fun atmosphere of romance created in set designs and clothing. The second movie delivered in being beautifully stylistic with the use of bright colors, quicky and unique set designs. The strong preference and commitment to style were refreshing as it provided a departure from the stereotypical teen high school romance. One of the best parts of the movie was the soundtrack, which definitely needs a listen to. The songs a mix of new songs and covers elevated the movie to a different level.
- Characters
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The character of Lara Jean and Peter Kravisky were well established in the first film, illustrated by the endless amount of fans created in the aftermath of the film. The characters are vulnerable, courageous, and relatable. Lara Jean struggles with the all too familiar feeling of questioning her worth and value. The charming and whimsical sense of first love that perfectly overwhelmed the first movie did not translate into the sequel. Lara Jean found herself in a love triangle with Peter Kravisky and John Ambrose in P.S. I Still Love You. The character development turned from charming into tropes and cliches.
- Theme and Message:
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Romance films often come under fire for perpetuating unrealistic stereotypes for relationships where the man always “saves” the women. While Lara Jean does end up with a boy at the end of the film, the plot helped break the trend of misrepresentation. Instead of Lara Jean just going on to get along, she takes time and reflects on herself. She works to fix herself instead of trying to fix the boys. It was satisfying to see Lara Jean stand up for herself and what she deserves.
The sequel did not meet my expectations from the first movie, though it was still a fun and cute film to watch! And fans can look forward to the release of a third film to the series coming next year!