Okay, before you begin freaking out, I’m not saying it’s a bad movie. It is good at what it is trying to be- a sweet teen romcom. But, it’s nothing more than that. Yet, this movie has become something several people find absolutely excellent, overstating how great of a movie it is at every chance they get.
The movie has an average plot, with the two main characters fake dating for an arbitrary reason, only to eventually realize their actual feelings for one another. The pacing is weird, with the timeline unclear as to how long the fake relationship has been going on. We are also lead to believe these characters fall for one another, but the affection shown between the two doesn’t feel real or relatable. Why do people think it is so different than other high school flicks? I feel like there is one main reason: Noah Centineo.
Noah Centineo plays the romantic lead (Peter Kavinsky) and many people think that he is… very attractive to say the least.
While I think he looks and acts a little too much like a frat boy for me, taking my personal tastes out of it, one attractive actor shouldn’t make a movie great. His acting is also okay at best, as he attempts to represent that he is slowly falling for the main character, Laura Jean. Yet, the romance feels rushed and less than genuine.
Maybe I’m just too cynical for this movie, as it is truly a sweet story for teenagers to see someone who they can relate to. I also liked that Laura Jean doesn’t transform physically in anyway, a common trope in many high school movies, often having a nerdy girl become more attractive when she takes off her glasses.
I can acknowledge that the movie has some merit and that it is a good Netflix original, but I don’t see the hype of why people enjoyed it so much. It’s average, and certainly not as revolutionary as people are making it seem.
“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” had so much potential, but my favorite thing about it was simply the cinematography. I didn’t care much for the plot or characters, which should really drive a film.