“To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You,” based on Jenny Han’s book by the same name, is a teen romance film focusing on the struggles of Lara Jean and her relationship with her first boyfriend Peter Kavinsky. This Netflix original film was directed by Michael Fimognari and is a sequel to the 2018 film “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before,” directed by Susan Johnson. Teen romance films are known to follow similar plotlines, which cause the general audience to become disinterested, but this film takes a different approach to teen love in high school. This sequel’s plot feeds off the original film and magnifies problems the main character encounters.
The complexity of the plot allows this film to be one step ahead of the average teen romance story, and Fimognari’s creativity builds a supporting foundation which shows the audience its realistic nature. Lara Jean, played by Lana Condor, portrays real emotions teenage girls struggle with while dating in high school. Other teen romance films have a reputation for heightening expectations for teenagers, but “To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You” is more identifiable as the circumstances are grounded in a relatable realism, not escapism. Not only does Lara Jean share real emotions with the audience but she also is more mature than the rest of the characters, and her values are noticeably independent. Throughout the film, Lara Jean sets an example for teenagers by showing the importance of prioritizing yourself, which is rarely shown in teen romance films.
In general, romance films are not known for noteworthy acting performances, and teen romance films are even less so. Unfortunately, “To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You” is no exception. The sequel contains worse acting performances compared to the first film. Noah Centineo delivers a decent performance as Peter Kavinsky in the first film, but gives a less than adequate performance in some of his scenes throughout the sequel. Despite the underwhelming acting, the lead roles of the film are the only notable because this film lacks intriguing supporting characters. Sofia Alvarez and J. Mills Goodloe’s screenplay leaves much to be desired as the characterization of the supporting roles is basic and underdeveloped. Some scenes merely served as a gateway to other scenes instead of supporting the plot or resulting from previously developed situations. The combination of dry acting, dull side-characters and a poor screenplay negatively affect the film’s underlying positive message of independence.
“To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You” is a film the audience can enjoy if they want to adventure off the path of a typical teen romance movie. This film clearly includes romance, but it also depicts what teenagers go through outside the walls of high school. Not only is there conflict within the romance domain, but also the main characters’ personal life, which covers real-life fundamentals.