It was just a few years ago when the small film To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before took the world by storm. Now the trilogy has officially come to an end with the final installment now available for streaming on Netflix! Anyone who knows me can attest to how much I absolutely love and connect to this franchise, so naturally I wouldn’t feel complete without doing a final review and commentary. It’s hard to put into words just how bittersweet it is to see this story close, but if you take away anything from this article, I hope it’s that you give this film and series a worthy chance!
- Sisterhood
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One thing that’s so great about this third film is seeing Lara Jean’s character lean on both of her sister’s for love, support, guidance and advice. They really shared in both her successes and issues throughout this film when it comes to college application anxiety, her relationship with Peter and their dad’s new relationship. Compared to the first two, where a lot of her problems are portrayed as internalized and isolated, it’s nice to see her value for family come out to the forefront with the honest sister moments. This film opens with their family trip to Korea for spring break, and there’s an omag to their late mother with all three of the sisters finding the locket their mom placed at Seoul Tower, which was really beautiful! Despite Lara Jean rarely bringing up her mom in the films, it was touching to see this family moment come full circle for her, and it brought about a new tone that the other films hadn’t fully explored. On top of this, you can still expect all the fun banter with Kitty and the wise advice from Margot! This sister trio is such a lovely part of the film, and shows a consistency with all the fears Lara Jean goes through in her senior year about facing reality and growing up.
- Friendship
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Just like Lara Jean’s sisters, her friendships definitely play a much larger role in this movie! While it seems like Chris comes and goes as she pleases in these films, we finally get tons of sweet best friend moments between her and Lara Jean. We see their bond tighten throughout the senior class trip to New York City, while getting ready for prom together, comforting LJ when she doesn’t get into Stanford and a lot of genuine advice we have yet to see between the duo! We also get to see Lara Jean rebuild her bond with her sworn frenemy, Gen! The growth between the two of them is very wholesome and definitely a full circle moment when it comes to connecting over the schools they are applying to and bonding over Peter. These friendships add a very relatable layer to the film that feels very true to the final high school experience. It’s nice to see Lara Jean really appreciate all that she has in her senior year with the people she knows she will have to part ways with very soon. I think anyone in their senior year of school will find these moments very relatable!
- Romance & Relationships
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When it comes to Lara Jean and Peter’s relationship, this film pulls out all the stops! The romance is at its peak in this final film with their numerous fun dates, promposals, movie references and their talk of plans for the future. In this film we finally get to see a consistency and stability to their relationship that comes off so natural, and this dynamic really takes the film to a whole new level. There’s no doubt that they are both in it for the long haul, but this final installment does not come without it’s tests to where their futures will lead when dealing with not getting into the same colleges. We also get to see this thematic transition of defining their relationship with what they don’t have, to appreciating all that they do by taking charge and making it their own. On top of that, both LJ and Peter make a balanced effort to be the best partner possible and still remain true to themselves. It’s something neither character has yet to explore, and it definitely takes the audience on a beautiful journey. You can expect so many sweet moments, but also some very honest ones that balance out the film in the best way possible. I could talk about this perfect pair for days, but I don’t want to give too much away because their relationship really is the best part of this final film!
- Independance & Maturity
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This final installment has such phenomenal character arcs that makes for a truly satisfying ending! Independence and maturity are themes that come to the center of this storyline. We finally get to see Peter in a stand alone moment when he reconnects with his dad. It’s a whole new side to his character, and just a small part of the film, but it is such a big one in the timing of it all. Here he is not just Lara Jean’s boyfriend, but a guy who has to face that even if everything is done perfectly, it can’t always make the uncertainty of the future any easier. With Lara Jean, she really struggles with the fact that growing up means making decisions with the best interest of her future in mind, even if it hurts Peter. The tighter she holds on and tries to make everything seem okay, the less it actually is. To see her finally make that leap of courage and take charge for what she wants is truly amazing! Lara Jean’s character portrays an array of mistakes, anxieties, and decisions we’ve all felt at one point or another, and she does it in such a gracious and inspiring way. I really do love how this film explores the independence and maturity of these characters in a brand new light!
- Representation
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Of course this article would not be on brand if I did not talk about the value and importance this series has brought about in terms of representation! This is the reason I fell so in love with the storyline to begin with. I feel like there is no better character to be the first to represent the modern Asian-American girl in the YA rom-com genre than Lara Jean! I actually have already written an article focused on the first two films and their representation. In an effort to not repeat all of my thoughts, check out To All The Boys 2: The Value of Asian Representation in Rom-Coms for a great conversation specifically on representation! Just like the first two, this third film does not disappoint with representing Lara Jean’s Korean culture. There is so much travel in this film, which definitely becomes a pivotal moment for her identity. I am beyond happy with Lara Jean’s story, portrayal and everything that made this series all that it is today! To have a strong, independent Asian lead female finally be represented in this popular genre is so important, and it’s something I will forever be grateful for with these three films.
- Meet & Greet Fan Experience
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Finally, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to do a fan experience zoom call with Lana Condor, Noah Centineo and around 300 fans! I know I would be crazy not to talk about this moment for those who are curious about it so it feels necessary to share as a part of this article. Even though it was fairly quick it was so surreal to be a part of a live chat interaction with the two of them. Essentially everyone was asked to submit some questions in the chat before they jumped on to the call and all the fans got to interact with each other which was super cool! To see so many young asian females on one screen felt like home to say the least. In the excitement of it all I kind of blacked out so I don’t remember the exact questions but I do remember Lana and Noah specifically talking about where they saw their characters ten years from now, their favorite set moments and what it was like experiencing the reach of these movies! It’s so strange to think that I have a global pandemic to thank for this opportunity. I know something like a huge fan meet and greet would not have been a possibility for me without zoom, which I couldn’t be more grateful for! It definitely puts this whole year into a better perspective. To say this was possibly the best day of my life would be an understatement!
It may have started out as just a romantic comedy, but it’s current world wide phenomena can attest to all the impacts made. I am certain that To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before is a series that will go down in history as the films that pivotally changed the genre and become these timeless classics for all rom coms alike! You would truly be doing yourself a disservice by not watching them. On that final note, To All The Boys: Always and Forever is the perfect goodbye, and this is my goodbye to the most beautiful trilogy out there. Thank you for coming along with me!