To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You: Movie Review

"To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You" turns out to be a bolder film than its predecessor. On one hand, it felt less predictable but on the other hand, the characters felt less relatable. What's clear is that for a sequel, the film matches well enough against its predecessor.

Lara Jean (Lana Condor) and Peter (Noah Centineo) are finally a couple. And with this, Lara Jean navigates a trove of official firsts with Peter — her first real kiss, her first real date — she finds herself more insecure than ever before as she thinks of Peter's ex Gen and the trove of firsts he has done previously with her. But when John Ambrose (Jordan Fisher), another recipient of one of Lara Jean’s old love letters, enters her life again, she must rely on herself more than ever as she’s confronted with her first real dilemma - can someone be in love with two boys at once?

One of the best things we loved in "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" were its characters and how we could easily relate to them. Unfortunately, in the sequel "To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You", that relatability slightly diminishes. The story and narrative had more unpredictability this time around and had us tensed up and surprised in a few occasions. But, if we're being honest, at the end of the day, it was still formulaic. The new spin regrettably was at the expense of the main characters especially Lara Jean. Lara Jean was actually edgier and more mature this time around but the way they developed her story and the conflicts she faces felt rushed and haphazardly pushed into audiences - making her decisions seem out of character and out of place. Like before though, one of the strongest points for the film was the acting and chemistry between Lara Condor and Noah Centineo. The biggest surprise though was Jordan Fisher as John Ambrose - Peter's rival. He definitely matched Noah Centineo's wit and charm that at one point, we didn't really know who we wanted Lara Jean to pick. Another strong point for the film was its soundtrack. The song selection was great. In the end, the film had positive steps forward but also took the same amount of steps back. It could have easily exceeded the first film if it took more time to make sense of its narrative. Even with its shortcomings, what we get is still enjoyable to the same degree as the first film.

Rating: 3 and a half reels





Why you should watch it:
- the narrative takes some risks off the beaten path
- great chemistry between the three leads

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- the characters are a little less relatable this time around