To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)

Directed by: Susan Johnson | 99 minutes | drama, romance | Actors: Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Janel Parrish, Anna Cathcart, Andrew Bachelor, Trezzo Mahoro, Madeleine Arthur, Emilija Baranac, Israel Broussard, John Corbett, Kelcey Mawema, Julia Benson

“To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” is a bestseller by author Jenny Han and the first book in a trilogy (followed by “PS I Still Love You” and “Always and Forever, Lara Jean”). The film adaptation is directed by the relatively inexperienced Susan Johnson (with the only other feature film ‘Carrie Pilby’ to her name) and released on Netflix.

Lara Jean (a nice, playful role by Lana Condor) is a normal teenager. At home she is the middle of three sisters and at school an insecure girl just like everyone else. Her mother passed away when she was young, but their father is doing well as a single, loving parent. And like all teenagers, LJ has her secrets. In a box on the top shelf at the back of her closet, she keeps letters that she wrote when she was in love with someone. Five in all, all in an envelope and addressed to the appropriate boy.

Not surprisingly, the letters turn out to be found by someone one day. With Lara Jean’s big secrets out in the mail, her old and new flames are standing in front of her one by one. Her worst nightmare has come true and, as befits a teenager, she wants nothing more than to lock herself in her room for the rest of the school year. Then she decides to have a fake relationship with Peter, one of her old crushes. In this way, she hopes to convince her current love that the letter he just received is dated (Josh is her sister’s ex). Of course something starts to blossom between LJ and Peter.

‘To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before’ is a fine coming of age film, which will strike the right chord with the Young Adult target group with the necessary humor and quirkiness. The film is entertaining, but always stays within the lines of expectations. This makes it not an innovative film and it never manages to rise above its genre. Is that bad? No, the film looks nice and fits perfectly on Netflix.