To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018) User Reviews

'To All the Boys I loved Before' Delivers Tried and True High School Romance

[johnh22 · 6/10 · 16 February 2020]

Bottom line, If you don't like teen romances, then don't watch this movie, it's as simple as that.

Like most high school romances I have seen, this movie has a light, comedic tone with a main course of romance, a side of implausibility, and most importantly, a happy ending for dessert.

Is this movie the next 'Breakfast Club'? No. So what? Sometimes you just want to be a romantic fool and this movie fits the bill.

Really liked it!

[mimi232 · 8/10 · 18 August 2018]

I haven't read the book, and hadn't heard about it, so I didn't have high expectations. Like others have said, Netflix hasn't had many good original movies recently (or shows, for that matter), but this one was good. I didn't have high expectations for the first 10 minutes but it redeemed itself pretty quickly. I think i might read the book!

An Absolute Delight

[Jared_Andrews · 7/10 · 26 August 2018]

Netflix has been scorching the rom-com game this summer. As other major movie studios have neglected this beloved genre, Netflix has capitalized on this underserved market by releasing a steady stream rom-coms just about every week. The latest, 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before,' is perhaps the best yet.

Sometimes, I just want a movie that will make me smile. It's such a simple wish that often goes unfulfilled when watching movies. But not this time. During this movie, I couldn't stop smiling. I smiled so much that it made my mouth sore.

Lara Jean (Lana Condor), a delightful 16-year-old who doesn't realize how delightful she is, lives her love life in fantasyland. She enjoys romantic novels and daydreaming about love, but she's afraid to pursue it in real life. She's forced to reckon with this when the five love letters she wrote to her crushes are mysteriously (but not really mysteriously because the culprit is obvious) mailed to each of them.

One letter went to (gasp!) her sister's ex-boyfriend Josh (Israel Broussard), who Lara Jean has secretly crushed on for years. Another went to Peter, the ex-boyfriend of Lara Jean's nemesis.

This guy who plays Peter, Noah Centineo, looks to be one of the breakout stars of 2018. He's ridiculously charming in a Mark Ruffalo kind of way. He will also star in the upcoming Netflix film, 'Sierra Burgess is a Loser,' so look for more big things from him in the future.

After finding out that she likes (or at least used to like) him, Peter suggests he and Lara Jean enter into a fake relationship. It's perfect-he can make his ex-girlfriend jealous, and she can convince everyone that she isn't in love with Josh. The two of them make rules, ones that seem destined to be broken at just the right moment. Even in the earliest stages of the fake relationship, they have obvious chemistry, both as characters and actors. Condor is a bit flat in her performance, but Centineo effortlessly lifts her up, and lifts up everyone, really, each time he appears on screen.

The story is decidedly 2018. The dialogue includes biting remarks like, "you don't even post about me on Instagram anymore!" Instagram comes up a lot. The litany of present-day references and apparent progressiveness of the overall film made me wonder why the writers made the Asian girl a terrible driver. Is it supposed be that self-aware type of joke that pokes fun at a silly stereotype? Maybe, but it didn't play that way.

The only real complaint I have is the casting of Lara Jean's sister. The actress is 30 years old and looks old enough to be Lara Jean's mom. That opening scene becomes confusing very quickly when this 30-year-old woman kisses her teenage boyfriend, and we find out that we're supposed to believe she's 18. Fortunately, the sister leaves for college, and we can forget about how weird that moment was.

'To All the Boys' likely won't surprise viewers with any twists-it's not going for that. But, it remains charming throughout, even if it has its ebbs and flows. Once the story passes the effervescent 30-minute opening spurt, it goes somewhat flat. It's like a soda that's lost its fizz-it's still sweet and pleasant enough, but it's not quite the same. Though I must admit, I gobbled it all up, even the hokey message about putting yourself out there because you never know what might happen.

Bottom line: the movie is delightful. I'm smiling now just thinking about it. Give it a watch. You'll be glad that you did.

worth watching but nothing revolutionary

[freya-156-902807 · 7/10 · 20 August 2018]

It was a very cute story, and nicely shot. For the most part I found the dialogue to be natural and believable and the fake dating trope (though far from something we've never seen before) is one I can never tire of.

Though I was rooting for the main couple I felt their resolution required a tad more build up. I loved the overall concept and characters but I did feel more could have been done with them

A pleasant surprise.

[Scarefish · 7/10 · 17 August 2018]

I'm not going to lie, there were a lot of red flags going in to this, given the massive amount of dull and terrible Netflix films that have come out this year, many of which focused on relationships and slice-of-life type stuff, but I think I kind of like this one. It's certainly the least obnoxious of the bunch, and is even more surprisingly carried by the young female supporting actress. There's nothing this film does that's extraordinary, but it's an easily watchable film that's fine through and through, and manages to avoid dragging despite having such a simple premise and it doesn't overstay its welcome. The leads in the film aren't amazing, but they're certainly above average, and are relatively charming. The film is quite heavily reliant on exposition, and feels oddly reminiscent of 13 Reasons Why, though I would say this is a much more tasteful story that handles it's premise appropriately whereas 13 Reasons Why felt melodramatic and edgy. The melodrama here manages to be less melodramatic, and the material is light-hearted enough to deal with a pinch of superficial acting.

The dramatic elements are certainly nothing new, such as dealing with the loss of a parent, but they're implemented in a reasonable manner and are played out naturally and they add a bit of spice to what might have been an otherwise bland story with flat characters. It's refreshing nowadays to see characters with tragic backstories being portrayed in an empowering way. These elements are almost understated, and as a result the characters seem stronger than the usual. Towards the end there's a bit of an incident, but it doesn't cause tonal whiplash, and it's certainly not frustrating as it tends to be in other stories.

I'm not a huge fan of teen films, especially not in modern times with how the music industry has degraded into simple, easy-to-produce tripe whilst brainwashing the simple-minded teenagers into thinking they love superfluous and downright useless music, and there's certainly an abundance of that in this film. It's a shame because the score feels fine for the most part, and the film opts for no music when a scene works better without it. I'm fine with simple and fluffy tunes to accent the films various moments, but the commercial trash is hard to deal with, even in small doses.

This film's a bit of a pleasant surprise, and is among the few 2018 Netflix films I would recommend so far. For those who dislike 13 Reasons Why for being edgy or tasteless, this film will likely be more up your alley, and it's much less of a time investment as well.

A pleasant surprise

[SaidNDone · 7/10 · 26 August 2018]

Considering how weak the romantic-comedy genre has been lately and the fact this was a Netflix production I decided to 'hate' watch it for fun, expecting something awful. Instead I found a gem.

'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' is one of the few rom-coms to come out recently that actually focuses on character and relationship development. There is no gimmick B-plot, or wasting a ton of time on advancing a tangential storyline that distracts from the main couple.

Instead, the movie smartly plays to its genre's strengths and focuses almost exclusively on fleshing out the relationship between Lara & Peter, so that when they link up at the end of the movie (as expected) you actually feel something. This moment is not just an empty kiss but rather culminates the organic character growth and relationship struggles you see throughout the film. This is in stark contrast to most modern rom-coms where the character development and relationships come secondary to a gimmicky plot, leaving you not knowing the characters or even caring about their hook up at the end.

'To All the Boys' is a rom-com done right and major studios should take note.

A heartwarming blast of love

[karlkennethwatson · 9/10 · 19 August 2018]

This movie has this certain vibe that makes you want to fall inlove. The script of the movie was definitely superb and was able to translate the emotion that you would feel while reading the book. The cast, the music, the atmosphere of the film, evwrything was on point. Definitely a must see

Good for all ages

[myfam-86505 · 7/10 · 23 August 2018]

Oldsters (like me) are decades removed from this movie's target YA audience but, if you liked the teenage angst movies of John Hughes ("Sixteen Candles," "Pretty in Pink," "Some Kind of Wonderful") you can truly enjoy this modern-day, politically corrected dip into that genre. ("Sixteen Candles" actually gets a shout-out in the flick.)

It takes some suspension of disbelief (some relaxation of the critical mindset that comes with age) but no more than others of its type. ("Lady Bird" being the exception -- a teen angst movie that overlaid the Hughes blueprint with grit and realism.)

The biggest obstacle is accepting the obviously older actors playing teens, especially the 30-something actress playing the 18-year-old sister. (Molly Ringwald was 16 when she played a 16-year-old.) If that doesn't bother you, then go for it. (Mostly it's 20-somethings in the late-teen roles, according to birthdates on IMBD.)

I loved it!

[lkgrox · 10/10 · 18 August 2018]

Such a feel good movie! 10/10 It gave me lots and lots of butterflies through out the whole movie!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

[srogers-36968 · 7/10 · 18 August 2018]

Very relatable and cute. A perfect feel good movie.

For a romantic movie it is really great!

[siderite · 9/10 · 19 August 2018]

No, she is not a shy girl with spectacles that suddenly finds her true love to remove the spectacles and notice she is beautiful. No, he is not a mindless cruel jock with the only purpose in life to show girls what not to date. No, he is not the good friend who in the end gets the girl because that's who she really loved. The characters in this film feel real and act like real people. It is so painfully obvious that the movie is based on a book: few original scripts for romantic movies ever pay attention to the people in the story and care about making the story original and relatable at the same time.

Bottom line: for a romantic movie it was great. I loved and understood the characters (all except the little sister who should have died in any kind universe), even the "villains". I loved that there were no real villains, only people with goals and hopes and desires. I liked the actors, the acting and the direction. The movie is based on the first book in a trilogy by Jenny Han. I am not sure the other books are as good or if the story even needs a continuation. I thought it was perfect the way it was. Is it a romantic young adult novel adaptation? Yes it is. Is it stupid and formulaic? Definitely not! To me it is one of few movies about love and romance that don't retell the same cardboard story with the same cardboard characters. It is an art to find the perfect spot between relatability and realism. I think this film found it.

Cute Movie

[glj-84367 · 7/10 · 27 August 2018]

A good easy to watch Sunday movie... Lana Condor has great acting skills and is also stunningly pretty and effortless! Hopefully we will see a lot more of her work... A proper feel good romcom x

Cheap, flat, simply not worth it

[ronb767 · 2/10 · 20 January 2019]

Having watched a lot of girl romantic comedies and the like, I was really surprised how bad this movie turned out to be. The story has basically no depth at all and while you desperately wait for someone to do something for something to happen you realize that the movie is almost over. It's like many other Netflix movies lately, overrated and boring.

a pleasant and subtle surprise!

[Quinoa1984 · 7/10 · 23 August 2018]

Hey, sometimes I am in the room and my wife puts on a movie and I am just compelled to not leave due to laziness... But then it turns out to not be too bad a thing thats on! I ponder and will assume Netflix did this to whet any appetites of those having just seen Crazy Rich Asians (which Netflix originally bid on to produce) and wanting more Asian-led rom coms.

More than that, it's shot with what look like (to get oddly technical) good prime lenses so that it doesnt have that sort of cheap look that TV or even other direct-to-Netflix movies have sometimes. I feel bad this didnt get a chance to be seen in theaters, but on the other hand this may get seen by a lot more people than if it were only in theaters a couple of weeks and then brushed to DVD.

This doesnt mean it is without some of the conventions of the genre (I guess they try to get around the "Gay Best Friend" by not making him exactly a "best" one - also, a token, which we haven't seeb un a while I guess). It also has the most non-"ill kill you!"-reveal reveal in a long time. But the main characters have great chemistry and it doesn't feel forced for a moment - or, at the least, I like seeing these two figuring things out as young people sort of stumbling into romance.

And Lana Condor having a star-making turn here aside (she's pretty, but her acting is subtle enough to make this premise not seem too ridiculous), there's a guy here, the other male lead who I forget his name now, who seems to be the high school clone (in voice especially) of Mark Ruffalo.

very ok

[deadinsideowl · 7/10 · 18 August 2018]

Netflix recommended this, so i watched it. i was actually pleasantly surprised. it's no cinematic masterpiece, and some of the lines are kinda cringy, but i enjoyed it far more than i thought i would.

A unique teen movie with many flaws, but still good

[austinfromdahood · 7/10 · 19 August 2018]

Yesterday night I was watching a rom com with my 2 cousins. They really wanted to watch a newly released Netflix movie that was based on a book they liked. That movie was To All The Boys I've Loved Before. At first, I was hesitant, because I don't usually like rom coms and I don't like much movies that was based on a book. I decided to watch it with them, and this movie was actually a huge surprise. I expected a cliche high school rom com movie, but this movie is way more than that. Lana Condor plays Lara Jean Convey, a girl that depends on her older sister Margot quite often. She doesn't have much friends at school, and she's written a letter for every single boy she has liked, but she keeps them for herself. Then, these letters get out to the public in such a creative way, and then the conflict is made for the protagonist. I really think this movie is relatable on so many levels. Being an outsider, having a major crush on someone, and being involved in school drama. Lana Condor is probably one of the best actors in this movie, and her character goes through a lot in this movie, and I was mostly invested in her journey. Hr sisters in this movie are also hilarious, and they are a good trio. The people that play Lara Jean's crushes are also very good in this movie. The father in this movie is also a very important and he is the funniest character in this movie. The story is pretty investing and I cared for Lara Jean and her problems. This movie is far from perfect though. I thought Gen, a person that likes one of Lara Jean's crushes was a very cliche character and she didn't really need to be in this film. And they bring her up so much because one of Lara Jean's crushes used to date her and I felt like that whole subplot was unnecessary. Another part of the film that I did not like was a character named Josh. He is one of Lara Jean's crushes and although his acting was pretty good, he did not get enough screen time in my opinion. He is one of the most important characters because the story mostly revolves around him. He only got like 10 minutes of screentime at most and that isn't enough. There are also a bunch of continuity errors in this film that were so obvious it's not even funny and it really bugged me. The ending didn't feel very fulfilling in my opinion and it sets up a possible sequel to this movie, and I didn't like that. There is also a lot of obvious product placement that bugged me as well. If you're lonely one night on netflix and you want to watch a good teen movie, I think this movie is for you. 7/10

A worthy YA book to film adaptation

[hjascroft · 9/10 · 17 August 2018]

Having thoroughly enjoyed the book and it's characters, my expectations for the film were somewhat high - and met!

The film is a light hearted and fun watch, not dissimilar to films like The DUFF and How to be Single. I was left feeling sentimental and warm, I'll be watching it again later today!

The adaptation was true to the book and contained the key elements that made it such a fun read in the first place. Lara Jean is as fickle but entertaining as her character in the book, the same with other characters (Peter is just as cocky but charming). My only slight complaint is that we didn't get to see the best of Kitty, the craziest and wittiest character in the book at such a young age! She had some fantastic one liners in the books that still make me cackle.

The ending of the film set it up well for the sequel - hopefully other fans enjoy it as much as I did and we get to see everyone reunite to tackle the next plot!

Not Bad

[lovefallsempty · 21 December 2019]

Good little chick flick to kick back and watch with your bestie. Similar to a lot of other chick movies about how high school life goes back but ends up turning out OK with the main character ending up with the jockey or her best friend etc. I enjoyed it overall. And I love that they finally put Asian characters as the main character rather than some white girl.

Carefree and fun!

[kimiemegan · 7/10 · 22 August 2018]

The plotline might be a little cliche but, the movie was portrayed beautifully. The characters were a gem! You'll fall in love with Lara Jean and Peter in no time. It was great to find a high school themed movie that is just pure sweetness. We need more of these movies! Worth the watch!!

GREAT Movie Adaptation

[jessklumbach · 10/10 · 18 August 2018]

I'm always very wary of book to screen adaptations, but this one did not disappoint! I was nervous that they would take the story and make it cheesy, in a way that Netflix tends to do, but the movie was real and lovable. The actors did a fantastic job and the set was amazing! I will be recommending this to everyone!

A fun and crazy story twisted into something lesser

[savannahwalckner · 6/10 · 17 August 2018]

I was surprised how different this movie was to the book. Because the book was great, and this was just meh. It felt like all the funny parts and heart racing parts was made into cringy and awkward scenes instead.

Lara Jean, the girl who played her, was very cringy, to say the least. I felt like there had to been a better actress than her, especially if her siblings are better actors than her. Ya know?

But Peter. Oh god, Peter. I loved him, which surprised me at first but he really was a perfect Peter. So let's move on to the other cringy actors.

Whoever played Chris and Genevieve need to leave this movie and never come back. Chris is so unlike her character, and made to be "edgy" but she came off super annoying and hateable. And Genevieve, don't get me wrong I hated her in the book, but my god, the girl who played Genevieve sucked. She just didn't do her role right. To be the heinous mean girl she's supposed to be.

And Josh, the idea of him was perfect, but he became whiny and not really there which pissed me off because he was a vital character in the book. I actually loved Josh when reading the book, and it was sad to not really see any of his personality or his inner struggles with LJ and Margot.

But my most wondered question is this: Why would you change a perfectly written story with great scenes to this?

You can call this 34 year old man a 15 year old teenager but...

[Brad_G35 · 9/10 · 18 February 2020]

I loved this freaking movie! I don't think there has been a young romance movie like this in a while. This movie has an atmosphere to it. It's half young romance/half coming of age. This movie never popped up for me until the sequel came out. After reading a synopsis, I didn't have high expectations.

When watching it though, those 100 minutes flew by. Ok... Ok... Ok... there are a few parts that are a little predictable but I found myself not being able to guess what was going to happen throughout. Even towards the end... I wasn't sure which way it was going to go.

There are a few shows out there(I'm looking at you Euphoria) that make me thankful that my teenage years were from 1998-2004. With all the societal and cultural changes that have happened over the last 16 years, that's even more the case. The enemy ex-girlfriend though... please tell me those mean girls still don't exist! There's something about those first-love feelings though. While I wouldn't ever want to go back to my young relationships, you can't help but remember those feelings. It's funny... you get that feeling and you never want to let it go. You think you'll never find it again but the truth is, you will find it again and it'll be bigger and better. Ok, enough of this sap... this movie made me feel all kinds of ways.

If I can close this blurb out with one thing; If any of you tweens and teenagers out there ever feel like an outcast or you're afraid that you don't fit in... seriously, don't worry. Get through your school years and enter adulthood. Once you enter college, after college, an all through your life... all of that stuff from your younger years don't even matter.

Great movie!

Acute teen movie

[ComedyFan2010 · 7/10 · 1 May 2019]

I don't get all the excitement about this movie, it was not as extremely special as I thought it would be. But it isn't bad at all. Really entertaining to watch. Just an average teen movie. The idea is pretty fun, but this is one of those movies where one can predict the ending from the very start. Yet the movie is still fun to watch because the characters are so nice. Peter was apparently supposed to be somebody others saw as a mean jock but not once in this movie did he act mean. He was nicer than any teenage boy struggling with his hormones has ever been. Noah Centineo was really great in this movie. He must be the heartthrob of the current generation. Good acting and a lot of charisma.

Pretty damn bad

[ashleighwil01 · 1/10 · 30 August 2018]

Its just your everyday stereotypical American Highschool movie. Nothing special

Fresh, Funny & Fascinating Despite Being Familiar.

[CinemaClown · 26 August 2018]

Tender, charming & heartfelt, To All the Boys I've Loved Before is another wonderful entry in the world of teen rom-com that has a certain freshness to it despite treading a familiar route and benefits aplenty from its set of well-written characters whom its young, talented cast brings to life with finesse.