As an avid follower of the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before franchise, I spent this past weekend watching the third and final film. I went through so many emotions within the two hours, and one word describes my experience; nostalgia.
It’s been three years since the first film was released and I have watched it so many times that I feel emotionally connected to it. I don’t know if it was Peter Kavinsky’s charm, Lara Jean’s (LJ) romanticizing modern day love, or the sheer fact that I saw myself in LJ. All I know is that these movies have made me daydream about finding my very own Peter Kavinsky.
The franchise drew in such a large fan base that it’s safe to say that this modern day love story may go down in history as a classic alongside Clueless, 10 Things I Hate About You, and When Harry Met Sally.
It’s also received countless press as one of the first movies with a Asian American actress as the leading role! After 19 years, this is one of the first romance films where I was able to connect to the main character on a personal level because she looked like me. Overall, I am impressed with the recognition and feedback the franchise has received as a whole and I am so happy to see that the film industry is finally beginning to diversify its actors and actresses.
“To All the Boys: Always and Forever” Review
This last chapter we see Lara Jean go through the most extensive character development. For once, it’s less about the boys and more focused on herself. LJ chooses to attend NYU even though it is far from Stanford (where Peter will attend) because she loves the city. Although she anticipates difficulties with long distance she decides to take the risk because she is set on her future. There is no better love story than to choose yourself, and in this case she does just that.
What made this last addition extra special is that parts of the film also take place in Seoul, South Korea and New York City! It was nice to see the characters explore new areas away from their suburban neighborhood. After not being able to travel for so long, it was refreshing to visit these places through the screen alongside them.
Another factor that made this last film stand out against the first two were the transitions. I loved the new transitions in between all the major events of senior year. The directors did a great job of incorporating more graphic design elements into this film, which I think made it stand out the most. The 2D black and white artwork was one of my favorites!
Other little random points that I loved about this film is how everything closed off in a perfect circle. LJ, Kitty, and Margot found the lock that their mother placed on Seoul Tower years before. In another scene, Lara Jean gives Peter her mother’s special box with all of their memories from the past year, including the small love letters. The movie even ends with a final contract between Peter and Lara Jean.
Overall, my love for the first film remains. Nothing lives up to the standards of the magic behind the first To All the Boys. I have to admit that the final movie topped the second by far.. Watching the last few scenes and credits where they run through clips of the first and second additions made me nostalgic and emotional. It felt almost as if I had been through the ups and downs of their relationship with the couple.
Now that we received our bittersweet ending all I want to know is what happens next. Do Peter and LJ get married? Does Gen give back Lara Jean’s scrunchie at NYU?