Netflix really stepped up its original film game this summer with instant classics like Set It Up, The Kissing Booth and To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. Now, Variety is reporting that To All The Boys I’ve Love Before has become one of Netflix’s most viewed original films.
On Tuesday, Netflix revealed that over 80 million subscribers had streamed one of its original romantic comedies in recent months. Variety also reports that “the company [Netflix] also singled out To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before as one of its ‘most viewed original films ever with strong repeat viewing.’”
And while this information is important to Netflix’s business model, proving that if you make a rom-com, customers will watch it, the fact that To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before is the one of its most viewed films offers an important cultural commentary.
Representation in mainstream media has long been a problem. Studios and other major industry players have long subscribed to the fact that consumers won’t want to watch a movie that’s not about a straight, white people. But with millions of viewers streaming To All The Boys and films like Crazy Rich Asians and Love, Simon doing exceptionally well at the box office, it’s clear that if diverse films and television shows are produced, consumers will watch.
So, fingers crossed that we’ll see many more diverse films! In the meantime, let’s celebrate by watching To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before for the 20th time.