To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before follows Lara Jean, a high school student and hopeless romantic, as she explores teenage romance. When Lara Jean’s secret love letters to her crushes are mysteriously sent out, she is forced to face her feelings in the real world. The movie was released by Netflix on Aug. 17.
After its release, To All the Boys instantly trended, spawned a few memes and earned a 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Some critics have compared its innocence to teen classics like Sixteen Candles, which Lara Jean even references. This refreshing purity stands out from the darker, more sexualized image of teens seen in shows like Riverdale. To All the Boys has received praise for its cast as well as its quality. But what ultimately makes To All the Boys such a success is its characters.
Lara Jean is a quirky, lovable protagonist that I couldn’t help but root for. Both love interests, Josh and Peter, surprised me throughout the movie. As Lara Jean’s relationships with both boys change, they are revealed to be more complex, and even more likeable, than they seem. Josh is still struggling with his breakup with Lara Jean’s sister, while Peter is learning to carry on after his dad left. The boy next door and the popular jock are allowed to be just as emotionally vulnerable as the female characters are.
The story takes off when Lara Jean and one of the boys start a fake relationship for their own benefits. The fake relationship trope, which has long been a staple of romantic comedy, fits seamlessly into a teenage coming of age story. It embraces insecurity, secret crushes and confusion. Lara Jean wants to fall in love just as much as she is afraid to, in a way that is so uniquely teenage. Lara Jean’s fake relationship allows her to understand and overcome her fear of real ones.
To some, especially high school students, the plot might seem too unrealistic. And it’s true, To All the Boys is firmly planted in fiction. It leans on unlikely circumstances including a perfectly timed school ski trip and a few scheming sisters. However, it is well aware of its improbability.
To All the Boys is also not afraid to mix adorable with uncomfortable. The setting is picturesque and the characters are well-dressed, but Lara Jean’s high school is no utopia. She is seen eating lunch alone and says that she often feels invisible. There are cliques, rumors and grudges held since middle school. To All the Boys falls gracefully somewhere between the picture-perfect High School Musical and the heartbreakingly real Eighth Grade. It is just real enough to be relatable, and just cheesy enough to be enjoyable.
In the end, Lara Jean crushes on the wrong person, but ends up with the right one. To All the Boys ends in the happiest, most wholesome way imaginable. It follows a recent trend of portraying teens in a responsible and refreshing way. We have already seen this positive trend in teen movies like Love, Simon, and I hope to see it in the upcoming movie The Hate U Give.
If the success of To All the Boys is any indication, a sequel will be considered. I hope that any future adaptations of the original books by Jenny Han will be as enjoyable as To All the Boys. However, with the renewal of 13 Reasons Why and the release of Insatiable, I don’t know what to expect from Netflix. For now, I can hope that the response to To All the Boys will inspire more movies like it and more positive teen representation in pop culture.
Whether you’re a rom-com fan or not, To All the Boys is worth a watch. You might be surprised by how familiar it is. I’ll admit, you probably won’t find the plot of a teen rom-com at WHHS, but you will find a lot of Lara Jeans.