To Netflix’s Original… P.S. You’ve Disappointed Me
When “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before,” was released in 2018, it quickly gained a large following and became one of Netflix’s “most viewed original films ever.” The first installation was wholesome and perfect and even though it was based on some of the same stereotypes we see in every other teen movie, “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” managed to stand out with its unique characters and their undeniable chemistry. Although it does not take much for me to like a rom-com (the more cheesy and predictable, the better), even I realized that this particular one ranked high up among some of the others that I have marathoned on repeat for years, such as “10 Things I Hate About You,” “Clueless,” and “13 Going on 30.”
My friends and I raved about the characters and several other elements of the movie that I normally do not pay too much attention to. The visuals, settings, and outfits in the movie were amazing; Lara Jean quickly became a style icon. Understandably, when the second movie, “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before: P.S. I Still Love You” was released, I was really excited. My best friend and I decided to get Sergis and make it a movie night, both eager for a movie that we anticipated was going to be as great as the first one. However, we were thoroughly disappointed. The second installation felt rushed and incomplete. Many of the elements that made the first movie so special were missing. While I could still find myself relating to Lara Jean at times, I wanted to see more of her interactions with her family and her sisters since the family dynamic was one of the things that made the first movie stand out.
There were still some nice moments in the movie and the visuals, as well as Lara Jean’s outfits, that did not disappoint. A couple of scenes, particularly the scene in which Lara Jean was baking the cherry turnovers, were extremely aesthetically pleasing. However, the movie seemed to lack a substantial plot and even the ending felt rushed. While some loose ends, such as Lara Jean’s friendship with Gen, were tied up, other characters just completely disappeared. Josh Sanderson, who was a main character in the first movie, did not make a single appearance in this one, nor was there any mention of him.
When the ending came around, I had more questions than closure, wishing we had been able to see more of Lara Jean’s life aside from Peter and that we had gotten a glimpse into the other beloved characters’ lives as well. While not a terrible movie by any means, the sequel fell a little flat in comparison to the first film. If you are looking for a feel-good movie, I would still give it a watch, but I would keep the expectations low if you were a huge fan of the first movie.