After following the movie adaptations of Jenny Han’s “To All the Boys” book series for three years, the teen rom-com series has come to an end.
“To All The Boys: Always and Forever,” starring Lana Condor as Lara Jean Covey, began streaming on Netflix just in time for Valentine’s Day, making it a holiday “must watch” movie.
“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” is centered on Lara Jean, a shy and hopeless romantic teenager. The first installment was released on Netflix in August 2018, following Lara Jean’s experiences based on five love letters she wrote for her crushes.
According to Variety, the first movie became Netflix’s most-streamed original film. Lara Jean’s character and intense relationship with Peter Kavinsky, played by Noah Centineo, sealed the deal for fans.
“To All The Boys: Always and Forever” is an excellent end to a series fans have connected with over the past three years.
Alex Godinez, a senior social work student, shares how she felt about the movie and what she hopes to see in the future.
“I loved the movie, honestly,” Godinez said. “I kept trying to predict what would happen next, but I was wrong. It was such a pleasure watching them [Condor and Centineo] grow on-screen… They were meant for these roles and I hope to see more films similar to this.”
Major themes in the movie are relatable and invite the audience to see Lara Jean and Peter’s relationship develop. Lara Jean struggles between choosing if she wants to be close to Peter during college or attend NYU and forget the plans they made.
Movie watchers used Twitter to express their opinions on the matter.
A popular tweet by @WeyNetaNadie stated the movie is a reminder not to make important decisions based on others’ happiness.
This film also shows surprising and exciting experiences for other characters connected to Lara Jean and not her love and relationship lessons.
Lara Jean’s dad, Dr. Covey, gets married. Her younger sister, Kitty, gets into a long-distance relationship with a boy she met on a family trip to Seoul, South Korea.
Her best friend, Chris, chooses to go to school events and gets into a romantic relationship. Additionally, her ex-best friend, Genn, is friendly to her, even complimenting her shoes.
With the movie being the finale to the series, viewers believe it ended how it was meant.
Bolu Babalola, a British screenwriter and journalist, shared on Twitter that the movie was a “perfect way to say farewell” and ended “without being trite.”
Lara Jean and Peter’s decision at the end of the movie to stay together and step into an uncertain future, while flashing back to previous movie scenes, gives fans something to cherish.
With incredible storylines, engaging illustrations and a remarkable soundtrack, “To All The Boys: Always and Forever” is a fantastic end to a series impacting modern-day rom-coms.